Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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633. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the schools that will benefit from the new hot school meals pilot programme for DEIS schools announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42288/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €54 million in 2018 representing an increase of €6.5 million over the previous year. 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. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.

Budget 2019 announced a further extension to the scheme and additional funding of €1m for 2019. The additional funding is to provide a hot school meals pilot programme to commence in the 2019/2020 academic year.

Research shows us the value of the provision of adequate and nutritious meals for a child’s health, learning, attention and educational achievement. That is why I am providing funds to establish a pilot programme for a hot meals scheme in DEIS schools. Hot dinners will be provided on a pilot basis in up to some 7,200 children. If successful, I would hope to work with the Department of Education and Skills (DES) in extending the scheme on a much wider basis in future years and establish the scheme on a permanent basis.

Officials from my Department will now engage with officials in DES to identify suitable DEIS schools for the pilot and thereafter a consultation with the schools involved will begin.