Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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291. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools that participate in the school meals programme but are not included as part of the existing DEIS programme, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28491/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of €42 million in 2016. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. Priority for new applications for funding 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 schools and organisations that joined the scheme prior to the introduction of DEIS would have done so under the various educational disadvantaged programmes in place at the time. These schemes included School Completion Programmes, Giving Children an Even Break, Home School Community Liaison Scheme, Designated Disadvantaged, Early Start and Breaking the Cycle. The number of these schools which participated in the school meals programme in the 2015/2016 academic year is provided on a county basis in the attached tabular statement. Details for the current academic year 2016/2017 are not yet available as applications for funding continue to be processed at this time.

Number of Non DEIS Schools in School Meals Local Projects Scheme in 2015/2016 by county