John Lyons (Dublin North West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to adjust the cap on school funding under the schools meals programme taking note of increased school enrolments as in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14545/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The school meals programme operated by the Department provides funding towards the provision of food services for disadvantaged children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by this Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and voluntary community groups who run their own school meals projects. Expenditure on the School Meals programme in 2012 was €35million. The Government has provided an additional €2 million for the programme for 2013.

The Department is currently in the process of determining the most appropriate method of distributing the additional funding for the 2013/14 school year. Priority for funding is given to schools which are part of the Department of Education & Skills’ initiative for disadvantaged schools, ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ (DEIS). The Department has written to approximately 170 DEIS schools requesting expressions of interest in participating in the scheme for the coming school year.

On completion of this exercise, the Department will review the level of funding available to DEIS schools which are currently participating in the programme taking into account increased school enrolments. The school referred to by the Deputy will be examined as part of this process.