Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Never mind the mouldy bread, we often get mouldy answers here but the Deputy is correct that it was a good answer. That is because it is a good policy and it is welcome. I have seen it in practice in schools, as have many Deputies present. It is transformative.

I also like the universality element because disadvantaged children do not always go to DEIS schools. It is important to roll the programme out. It prevents stigma and so on. One suggestion has been brought to me. There are many children in DEIS schools who receive a meal in sixth class and when they go on to post-primary, they will not necessarily receive it, even in schools where there is a high level of disadvantage. Every time I ask the Minister to spend money, she reasonably tells me there are limits to what she can do. However, in the order of priority, I ask her to give some consideration to the argument that children in a DEIS primary school who go on to a DEIS secondary school, do not come from a different home just because they move on. It might be something to consider but I do not speak against the desire to have a universal approach.

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