Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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411. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated full-year cost of providing free school meals for all pre-school children in the ECCE scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28862/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Following a successful meals pilot in 2023, my Department is currently in the process of developing costing scenarios for a targeted meals programme as part of Equal Start, our new funding model to support children and their families who experience disadvantage to access and experience meaningful participation in early learning and care and school-age childcare.

An estimated full-year cost for the Government to provide universal free meals to every child in the ECCE programme would cost approximately €66.9m.

These estimates are based on the following assumptions:

• Approximately 110,000 children availing of ECCE (based on 2022/23 numbers)
• A daily rate of €3.20 capitation (based on Department of Social Protection's School Meals Scheme capitation)
• 38-week ECCE term time (182 days)