Every child in the country will be entitled to a hot dinner at school by 2030 under a radical expansion of the school meals programme to be announced today.
Currently, the programme is restricted and is limited to children attending school in disadvantaged areas, Deis schools.
But from 2024, under a phased rollout of a more universal scheme, meals will start to be supplied to children in schools that are not Deis.
READ MORE: Kids write to Minister Norma Foley pleading with her to ban homework after President comments
Social Protection Minister, Heather Humphreys, will announce the news this afternoon (THURS), where it is expected she will say: “A hot school meal for a child in the middle of the day is worth its weight in gold. It does wonders for our childrens’ wellbeing, their concentration and their physical and mental health.
“And for some of our children, that hot lunch may be the only nutritional meal they receive during a single day. The train is now very much on the tracks. Let’s be bold and let’s be ambitious.
“Let’s work together to give every single school-going child access to a hot meal in the middle of the day.”
The Minister is also expected to point to her engagement with principals, staff, parents and pupils, during several visits to schools in recent months.
She will add: “I place a huge value on the views of our school teachers and principals, who are hugely supportive of the programme itself.
“They have seen first-hand the huge difference that a hot school meal has had on childrens’ educational outcomes. This is a programme that, without a shadow of a doubt, makes our schools happier places for all. And they provide untold benefits for both the children, and their families.”
A source close to Ms Humphreys gave the Irish Mirror more information last night.
He said: “The provision of the hot school meal option should be extended to all DEIS primary schools for the 2023/24 academic year.
“There should be a universal school meals programme with one free hot meal for every child in Ireland and this should be implemented in a phased approach by 2030.
“The report recommends an interim increase in funding rates for all meal options in the School Meals Programme, though it does not propose the rate of any increase.”
The School Meals Programme currently has an annual Budget of over €94million. It supports over 1,600 schools and organisations nationwide and benefits over 260,000 children.
Minister Humphreys is known to be a keen supporter of the scheme, having extended it from just 30 schools when she was appointed to now over 500 schools.
READ NEXT:
Fundraiser launched to bring US marine home to Kerry for burial
Brave Irish girl 'still smiling' despite losing all four limbs after Strep A infection horror
Erectile dysfunction tablets among one million units of illegal medicine seized in Ireland
Alarming new figures show hundreds of businesses fear closure by end of 2023 due to inflation
Ireland weather: Expert says 'high pressure is building nearby' with big change on the way
