Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 428: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proportion of schools in Meath that provide food to their pupils; the way in which this compares nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26300/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The school meals programme operated by my Department gives funding towards provision of food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, currently operated by 36 local authorities, which provides food services to primary schools. The Department jointly funds the food costs with these local authorities, who also manage and fund the administration of the scheme.

Based on annual returns received to date from the Local Authorities, and projections on other intending participating schools, it is estimated that some 386 primary schools are currently benefiting under the urban school meals scheme for the academic year 2005/2006. Six of these schools are located within Meath with an estimated 450 pupils benefiting.

The second scheme is the school meals (local projects) scheme. Under this scheme my Department provides funding to participating schools and voluntary community groups in both urban and rural areas for specific school meals projects, including preschools that are community based and which operate on a not-for-profit basis.

Some 69,903 children in 919 primary and secondary schools nationally have benefited from the scheme during the academic year 2005/2006. Nine schools in Meath are participating with some 660 children benefiting. It is estimated that some €10.4m overall will be spent between the two schemes in 2006 with some 117,500 children benefiting.

There is ongoing liaison between my Department and the Department of Education and Science on school meals issues. In 2005 the Department of Education and Science initiated a new action plan "Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools" (DEIS) which incorporates many of that Department's existing schemes which target educational disadvantage. Approximately 48 % of DEIS schools are participating in this Department's school meals programme and my Department will be working to prioritise remaining disadvantaged schools for inclusion in the school meals programme.