29,000 more children to get free school meals from September
Hot Free Children Be Providing The Will School Meal 345,000 Meals To Scheme
The Government has extended the Hot School Meals programme, so that students at 19 more Cork schools will get free meals for the new school year.
Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys announced on Wednesday that 168 schools were to be added to the programme, or 29,000 more children who will receive free hot food starting in September.
The number of primary school children now eligible to receive a hot school meal every day is 345,000.
The 19 new schools to be added to the programme in Cork are Millstreet Convent NS; Dundar Mhuighe NS; SN Inis; Kilbrittain Mixed NS; SN Ath na Lionta; Freemount Mixed NS; Scoil Fionnbarra; Scoil Realt na Mara; Gael Scoil ui Riordain; Kealkil NSl; Lios Maighir; SN Gleann na Huladh; Convent girls senior NS; Rusheen NS; Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, Clondulane; SN Droichead na Bandan; Scoil Bhrugh Thuinne; and SN Chuan Doir.
Furthermore, 11 schools in Kerry, 11 schools in Limerick, six schools in Clare, eight schools in Tipperary and six schools in Waterford are joining the programme from the start of the new school year.
The scheme was launched with just 30 pilot schools, but Ms Humphreys said that she now wants to "finish the job".
Announcing the expansion, she said: "My ambition, now, is to finish the job as part of this year's budget and ensure that every primary school in Ireland is providing hot school meals in 2025.
"I firmly believe the roll-out of hot school meals to every primary school in the country will be one of the lasting legacies of this Government."
The Department of Social Protection provides the funding to schools for the School Meals Programme, and it is the responsibility of schools to choose their supplier in an "open, fair and transparent manner", in accordance with national legislation and EU directives on procurement.
The department will write to each of the 168 schools to advise them on how to prepare for the Hot School Meals service from September.
It is hoped that by 2030, the programme will be in every school in the country.
To reach that target, the department has now contacted all of the remaining primary schools in the country that are yet to join the scheme.
The department will ask them to submit expressions of interest, with the aim of being included subject to funding in Budget 2025.
Around 1,000 primary schools have yet to sign up to the scheme.