Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 March 2015
244. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of schools availing of funding from her Department for the provision of school meals that have run out of funding for this academic year and have had to stop providing school meals to children as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13304/15]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations which benefits over 205,000 children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by the Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and voluntary community groups who run their own school meals projects.
Schools participating in the scheme are advised each academic year of their allocation and are expected to work within this allocation. However, the Department is aware of one school that has a shortfall in funding for this academic year and is engaging with the school principal to resolve the matter.
