School meals programme to continue during lockdown
The arrangements will not change from when schools closed previously: namely that the schools may continue to avail of the funding and they may continue to provide food consistent with normal funding terms and conditions.
The School Meals Programme will remain in place during the current period of school closures, it has been confirmed.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, this evening announced that funding for the School Meals Programme will remain in place.
This mirrors the arrangements that were in place during the school closures in 2020, when the majority of schools in the School Meals Programme continued to provide food to children, largely through the home delivery of food parcels by suppliers.
“As Minister for Social Protection, I recognise the importance of the school meals programme as a support for school-going children. I would like to re-assure parents that the funding for school meals will continue to enable children to receive food while schools are closed,” Minister Humphreys said.
The arrangements will not change from when schools closed previously: namely that the schools may continue to avail of the funding and they may continue to provide food consistent with normal funding terms and conditions.
Schools must ensure that they continue to satisfy all public health guidelines.
Funding is based on a rate of payment per meal, per child, per day. Up until 2019, a hot meal was only provided through a dinner club which was primarily offered in schools with onsite cooking facilities.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities.
Budget 2020 provided an additional €4 million in funding to extend the hot meals for children currently receiving the cold lunch option.