Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for taking this question. It is a follow-up question, as I have raised this issue previously. I point to the ambition to see every school student with a hot school meal, which has to be commended. I agree that we need to ensure that our children are given all of the support that is necessary to get them the best results and access to education. Equally, it is important that children get the same experience and feel they are the same as their peers. However, there are issues with the roll-out of the hot school meals programme. In County Clare, I have come across two schools which are worthy of the hot school meals programme, Ennistymon Community School and St. Anne's School in Ennis.

Ennistymon Community School is a newly amalgamated secondary school, where three different schools came together as one. It did not go through a smooth transition by any standards and has faced many challenges. One main challenge is that the amalgamation brought together one DEIS band school and two non-DEIS band schools. This resulted in hot school meals eligibility for just one school. I raised this with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and pointed out it would be unfair to roll out the scheme for only some of the more than 700 students. The Minister was quick to respond and rectify the matter, and ensured that all students in the school received a hot school meal for this school year. However, that does not resolve the matter in its entirety.

My understanding is that this September the hot school meals programme will only be approved for those students who attended the DEIS band secondary school and that will be in place until first-year students who started last year finish their secondary school cycle, after which the hot school meals eligibility will cease. I pointed out to the Minister that this was not a workable arrangement as it will see some students receive a hot school meal while most will not. I am concerned for all of the students involved. I remember my secondary school years. Students should all be treated the same. I do not want children to feel like they are different, and that is important.

With universal roll-outs, the Department still needs to be effective in how it responds to complex cases. This is a complex case. I note the Minister recently requested that the school engage with the Department and I have relayed that to it. However, this is a matter for the Ministers, Deputies Humphreys and Foley, to tackle together in order to ensure a fair path forward.

The second complex case is St. Anne's School in Ennis, a special needs school. The school has a cook who knows all of the children and their dietary needs. The cook ensures that each meal prepared for each child is tailored to their needs and wants, which makes sense and benefits everyone involved. Children get the food they want and unnecessary waste is combated. It provides the best value-for-money for the Department. The school wants to keep its arrangement in place. If I was part of that school community I would too.

Accommodation can and should be made to ensure that the most practical option is provided for each individual school, in particular special schools. The hot school meals programme does not allow a school to pay the wages of the cook, but if a school went with a company to provide the service it would cover all charges, from packaging to waste disposal to the delivery of the meals. However, the hot school meals programme does not currently recognise that special schools should receive accommodations. I request that the Minister, along with officials, re-examine the programme. By all means extend it, but they should take the time to appreciate that some schools will need additional support and flexibility.

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