Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

This week, on the Order of Business and during the debate and on the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007, Senators raised the issue of children who go hungry. I ask the Deputy Leader to request that the Minister for Education and Science come before the House to allow me an opportunity to highlight a policy adopted by one school on lunches and the breakfast club, which is unacceptable and not in the best interests of children. Breakfast clubs are for children who, for whatever reason, come to school without breakfast. The meal should be provided before lessons start but in the school in question, which is in a designated disadvantaged area, breakfast is served at 10.30 a.m. The children have been told they may no longer bring packed lunches to school and those who, until recently, brought packed lunches were required to eat them at 10.30 a.m. This means the children have breakfast at 10.30 a.m. and have nothing else to eat until they go home.