Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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1378.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the name and number of schools in the Mountbellew, Portumna, Tuam, Loughrea, Athenry and Oranmore municipal areas in receipt of the hot school meals programme; the total number of children supported and the funding allocated, from the year 2020 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32781/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.

The Hot School Meal option of the Programme was introduced in 2019 and is currently solely available to primary schools. Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have increased the number of schools with access to the Hot School Meal option from an initial pilot of 30 schools to a position where over 2,000 primary schools now eligible to receive a hot meal.

The most recent phase of expansion included 900 primary schools and 150,000 children in April this year. All primary schools who submitted an expression of interest are being provided with access to the Hot School Meals scheme.

My Department has contacted the remaining primary schools who have not yet joined the Hot School Meals scheme asking them to submit expressions of interest in commencing the provision of hot school meals. The responses will be reviewed with the aim of including more schools subject to available budgetary funding.

Details in relation to Hot School Meals for all schools in County Galway, from 2020 to date, can be found in Table 1 below.

Table 2 lists the schools currently in receipt of Hot School Meals in County Galway.

I trust this clarifies matter for the Deputy.

Table 1 - County Galway Schools in receipt of Hot Meals - 2020 to date

Table 2 - County Galway schools in receipt of Hot Meals in 2023 - 2024 School Year