Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to an application for inclusion to the school meals programme should it be submitted by a school (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31333/16]

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. Budget 2017 announced an additional €5.7 million for school meals, increasing funding to €47.7 million which will benefit over 50,000 children.

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 has been 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 funding provided in Budget 2017 provides some provision towards the extension of the scheme to breakfast clubs in non-DEIS schools from September 2017.

More than 50,000 children will benefit from increased funding to the School Meals programme, providing breakfasts and lunches, which will rise by €5.7 million to €47.7 million in 2017 announced in Budget 2017. Of these, some 35,000 extra school breakfasts will be provided in non-DEIS schools from the start of the new school year and will be expanded in future years.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.