Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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271. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when she will publish the review of the school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56070/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,700 schools and organisations and benefitting 260,000 children.  The objective of the programme 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 2022 provided €68.1 million for the programme with an additional €9m provided to allow access to all new DEIS schools from September 2022.  Additional funding for the programme has been provided for 2023 bringing the total to €91.6m. 

I am committed to continuing to expand the school meals programme and building further on the significant extension of the programme in recent years.  In this regard, I commissioned the evaluation of the school meals programme to review all elements of the programme. The evaluation involves engagement with all stakeholders involved in the programme and will help to inform future decisions around this important programme.  The final report is due to be completed by the end of the year and will be published thereafter. 

I trust this clarifies the matter.