Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 561: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide details of the proposal that under the dormant accounts fund a once-off start-up grant will be provided to schools commencing participation in the school meals scheme to provide suitable facilities and purchase equipment. [4442/07]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 562: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria and conditions for schools offering breakfast clubs to avail of dormant account funding. [4441/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 561 and 562 together.

On 17 January last my Department invited applications under the Dormant Accounts (Educational Disadvantage) and RAPID Leverage Fund — Small Scale Capital Grant Scheme for Schools. A total of €18 million has been made available to my Department from the Dormant Accounts Fund and the RAPID Leverage Fund to fund projects under the scheme that aim to counteract educational disadvantage. The scheme will provide capital grants for both the enhancement of existing and the provision of new outdoor play areas, school libraries, dining areas and parent rooms. Eligible schools include schools participating in my Department's DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) Programme, schools in or serving RAPID areas and Special Schools.

Having regard to the Dining Areas measure of the scheme, the measure primarily provides for the enhancement of school dining areas via either the upgrading of existing facilities or the development of new dining areas. The measure also provides for small grants of up to €5,000 for eligible school participating or proposing to participate in the Department of Social and Family Affairs' School Meals Schemes. Eligible activities under this sub-measure are restricted to the provision of certain items of catering equipment such as fridges and other ambient storage units, work surfaces, cutlery and delph.

An indicative amount of €6 million will be made available to fund the Dining Area measure. In the event that the measure is oversubscribed by projects that meet the qualifying criteria these projects will be ranked having regard to the strength of their application, the Department's desire to maximise the use of the RAPID Leverage funding and the level of relative disadvantage pertaining to each school.