Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

370. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide a list of schools participating in the hot school meals programme in Dublin 15 and Dublin 7, and any schools in Dublin 15 and Dublin 7 that have requested to be on the list but are not included in this year’s programme. [22383/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The objective of the School Meals 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. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering 443,000 children are now eligible for funding.

As part of this significant expansion plan, all remaining primary schools were contacted last year and requested to submit an expression of interest form if their school is interested in commencing the provision of hot school meals. Expressions of interests were received from over 900 primary schools in respect of 150,000 children. Late last year, these schools were invited to participate in the Hot School Meals Programme from 8^th April 2024. The remaining primary schools who have not yet joined the scheme have been contacted to express an interest to receive Hot School Meals from September 2024.

A list of schools participating in the hot school meals programme in Dublin 15 and Dublin 7 is contained in the following table. Two schools in these areas have requested to be on the list: Mary Mother of Hope Senior National School, Dublin 15 and St John Bosco Junior Boys' School, Dublin 7.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement

Schools participating in the hot school meals programme in Dublin 15 and Dublin 7 2023-24