Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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49. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of the school meals scheme in 2015; the projected cost in 2016; the number of schools in which this scheme is available; and the cost of rolling out and extending the scheme to an additional 500, 600, 700 and 800 schools. [25510/15]

Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations and benefits over 207,000 children. Despite pressure on the social protection budget, the Government allocated an additional €2 million for the programme in 2015, providing a total allocation of €39 million. The provision for the scheme for 2016 will be determined as part of the budgetary process.

The scheme provides support to disadvantaged children and priority is given to schools which are part of the Department of Education and Skills’ initiative for disadvantaged schools, ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ (DEIS). In line with the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures, the additional €2 million allocated to the school meals programme will be used to provide payments to schools which are part of DEIS. There is a particular focus on the provision of breakfast clubs within the programme which provide very positive outcomes for vulnerable children in terms of their school attendance, punctuality and energy levels.

The cost of further rolling out the scheme to additional schools would depend on the number of pupils involved and the types of food clubs introduced. Details of the food clubs and the maximum rates of payment per meal type are shown in the following tabular statement.

School Meals Programme: