Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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272. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for funding in respect of a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6858/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations benefitting over 210,000 children at a total cost of some €47.7 million in 2017. The funding for the scheme was increased this year, as part of Budget 2017, by an additional €5.7 million which will benefit over 50,000 extra children.

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. From September 2016 additional funding is being provided to DEIS schools already participating in the scheme to provide breakfast and lunch to pupils. Also, some 21 new DEIS schools have joined the scheme for the current academic year and a further 3 have expressed an interest in joining.

The school referred to by the Deputy previously applied to join the scheme and was informed that no provision could be provided at that time as they were not designated DEIS status.

The additional funding allocated in Budget 2017 also provides for the inclusion in the scheme, from September 2017, of some additional schools not currently part of DEIS and deemed to be disadvantaged following the recently launched review of DEIS carried out by the Department of Education and Skills. There is also some provision towards the extension of the scheme to breakfast clubs in non-DEIS schools from September 2017 which is the first time in many years that increased payments will be provided to schools outside of DEIS

Officials in the Department are engaging with colleagues in the Department of Education and Skills regarding options for the provision of the additional funding to both DEIS and non-DEIS schools for the next school year, commencing in September 2017. Priority will be provided to those schools where there is most need.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.