John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

473. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a school (details supplied) was not accepted for the school lunch scheme, in view of the fact that its sister school has been accepted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51525/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations at a total cost of some €47.5 million in 2017.

In recent years priority for new applications for funding had been given to schools which are part of the DEIS programme, designed to give tailored support to schools which have high concentration of disadvantage. For the first time in many years, breakfasts are also now available to some schools outside DEIS that have been identified in consultation with the Department of Education and Skills, which has developed a more robust and responsive framework for assessing individual schools levels of concentrated disadvantage. This policy ensures that the school meals scheme targets those children most in need of this support.

The school referred to by the Deputy, is not a DEIS school and is not one of those schools identified for school meals support at this time.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.