Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

8. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to expand the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25423/24]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This is to ask the Minister to set out her plans to expand the hot school meals programme.

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

I thank the Deputy for raising this. 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, 2,600 schools and organisations covering 443,000 children are eligible for funding. The hot school meal option of the programme was introduced in 2019.

Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have increased the number of schools with access to the hot school meal option and the programme has grown significantly in recent years with more than 2,000 primary schools now eligible to receive funding for hot meals. This is a very positive outcome considering that the scheme involved just 30 schools at pilot stage when I was appointed. I have visited many schools and witnessed first-hand the positive effect that the provision of hot meals has on students and staff in the schools. This very positive response was confirmed in a review of the scheme completed by the Department. I am therefore committed to continuing to expand the school meals programme and encouraging greater take-up by schools.

I have, as the Deputy will be aware, rolled out hot school meals to all DEIS primary schools from September 2023. In addition, all remaining non-DEIS primary schools were contacted last year and requested to indicate their interest in commencing the provision of hot school meals. Expressions of interests were received from more than 900 primary schools in respect of 150,000 children who were then invited to participate in the programme from 8 April 2024. All of the schools who submitted completed applications have been awarded funding. My Department has contacted the remaining primary schools who have not yet joined the hot school meals progrramme asking them to submit expressions of interest in commencing the provision of hot school meals. I will review the response and include more schools in 2025 subject to available budgetary funding.

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I appreciate all of the information the Minister provided. It has been some feat that she has undertaken over the past number of years. I would like to raise St. Anne's with the Minister, a special school in Ennis. It is a fantastic school. I have heard countless testimonies that the staff and the principal go above and beyond for each and every one of the students. They currently have 141 pupils. They highlighted a difficulty they are experiencing with the hot school meals programme. They actually have an on-site cook who can and does adapt each and every meal for every child. It is quite incredible what happens there. I would like to see them keep this arrangement in place. It ensures that the children have the right textures and meals. They are tailored to their needs. It also reduces significant waste.

The funding currently only covers food items. It means they would have to work with a company. That would cover food, wages, equipment, packaging, waste disposal and delivery costs. This is great for those schools that are able to avail of it. For St. Anne's, the parents have been in contact and I am sure the children would agree. I would love to see them keep their current arrangement in place if the funding could allow for that to happen, namely if the funding could be used to pay for the cook.

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

When I announced the expansion, I was very keen that all special schools would be included. I am not all over the detail of St. Anne's special school but I would say to the school authorities to engage with the Department and have that conversation. If they could do that, we will see where it takes us. I am not over the specific detail there. What I want to do is try to make sure the children get a hot school meal. We have the arrangement where we provide the funding to the school and it is up to the school to identify suppliers. I know that some schools, particularly in rural areas, cannot get the main providers and have actually had the social enterprise, meals on wheels, providing the meals into the school. That works well in some places and some small schools as well. My objective is to get the children fed. I ask the school to engage with the officials.

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will ask the school authorities to do so and maybe the Minister could flag it with the Department as well. They have struggled for a long time to pay the cook's wages. They get other funding that is meant to be for vital therapeutic services and they desperately need those services. It would be important for that funding to be used and not any of it to be paying for the cook's wages in any respect. Ideally going forward, the Department might look at certain flexibilities for special schools. Because of their needs and all the different needs the children would have, those companies may not be able to cater to them. Waste might be a factor as well.

Finally, I want to raise Ennistymon Community School again. I have mentioned it to the Minister previously. She said they could engage with the Department and maybe that has taken place. I know the Minister is doing her very best to roll out the scheme to all schools. It might be a backwards step if some pupils in one particular school were able to avail of the hot school meals programme but others were not.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

This is an absolutely brilliant scheme and it is really helping many children and families around the country. I compliment the Minister on that. Has the Department issued any guidelines regarding the quality of the food and consistency of quality? Are any guidelines issued on the packaging the food comes in? If a child does not avail of the meal - we all know children do not always eat what is put in front of them - is there an issue around that with respect to food not being used or being left over? I have heard reports that in some instances it can be quite considerable.

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

The nutritional standards applying to the school meals programme were developed by a working group led by the health and well-being programme in the Department of Health in consultation with Safefood and the healthy eating and active living programme in the HSE. Schools and organisations must reapply for funding in advance of each school year and are required to submit detailed records.

We want to maintain high standards and we want children to have nutritional food. Reports are sent in and expenditure on unhealthy food items is deducted from the following year's funding allocation.

The Deputy also talked about environmental considerations. The meals suppliers are responsible for operating policies that progressively address environmental considerations such as waste and packaging.

Finally, in terms of the Ennistymon school, I did get a local solution in place. That was done and I tried to continue it. I want to know whether the board of management has engaged with the Department. Has it been speaking with the Department of Education because this is an issue of a DEIS and non-DEIS school?