Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing each child of school going age with a daily lunch meal. [26452/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Expenditure on the provision of school meals which is primarily funded by the School Meals Programme, administered by my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection was €34.96 million in 2010 with €35 million provided for 2011.

The estimated cost of providing a daily lunch meal for 874,759 school going children and young people in primary and post primary schools currently and based on an estimate of €3 per lunch, would cost in the region of €429 million per annum. The School Meals Programme which is strictly for food items only, is among the many measures available to 676 primary and 200 post primary schools participating in DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the Action Plan for Educational Inclusion.

The majority of the 692 schools currently participating in the School Completion Programme (SCP) under DEIS operate meal provision as part of breakfast, lunch, after school and homework clubs, in accordance with the Nutritional Guidelines issued by the Department of Social Protection.

The National Educational Welfare Board with responsibility for the School Completion Programme and Home School Community Liaison, which are major components of DEIS transferred from my Department to my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs with effect from 2 June 2011.

My Department will continue to work in close co-operation with the Departments of Social Protection and Children and Youth Affairs to prioritise and ensure that the resources available for school meals are used to best effect.