Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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263. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 74 of 29 November 2022, if the evaluation of the school meals programme is complete, including the funding rates made available in order to provide nutritious meals for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10813/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations benefitting 260,000 children.  The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking 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 2023 has provided €94.4 million for the programme.  The Government has recently approved an additional €14.5m to allow access to the Hot School Meals scheme for all remaining DEIS schools from September 2023.

I am committed to continuing to expand the school meals programme and in this regard I commissioned the evaluation of the school meals programme to be undertaken.  The final report from the evaluation was recently received, and I am currently reviewing it.  The evaluation reviewed all elements of the programme including the funding rates currently provided.  This report will help to inform future decisions around this important programme.

I trust this clarifies the matter.