Hot School Meals Programme extended to local schools
The hot meals will be available to all pupils enrolled in these schools, which do not have canteen/kitchen facilities for preparation of the hot dinners on site.
The Hot School Meals Programme will be extended to one primary school in Co Cavan.
The Covid-19 pandemic presented everyone with many challenges over the past twelve months, including for schoolchildren in the county, especially those who would previously have come to school each morning without breakfast.
The Hot Meals Programme continues to be a major initiative to encourage school attendance when schools are open, when schools are closed and when classes are held virtually.
A total of 512 hot meals have been applied for by St Clare's Primary School in Cavan Town.
In neighbouring Co Monaghan, four schools have been included in the Hot Meals Programme, including Scoil Naomh Deagha (168 meals) in Inniskeen; Scoil Naomh Padraig Eo-Dhruim (74) in Castleblaney; S N Cholmcille (86) in Carrickmacross; and Scoil Mhuire (147) in Castleblayney.
Elsewhere in the region, the scheme has been extended to five schools in Leitrim including Carrigallen NS (146 meals); two in Longford including Sacred Heart Primary in Granard (201); and two in Meath including Kilmainhamwoods NS (201).
In formally launching the scheme, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, said: “Our school children have shown extraordinary resilience over the past 12 months amid huge disruption caused to their lives by Covid-19.
“The Hot School Meals Programme is an important initiative in terms of a child’s wellbeing and nutrition. It is also known to facilitate better education outcomes.”
She added that when the scheme was initially launched as a pilot, it was availed of by 6,600 children in 37 schools.
“From today, the Hot School Meals Programme will support 35,000 children in 189 schools in every city and county in the country.
“I wish to thank the schools involved in the project and acknowledge their ongoing cooperation with the Department to ensure its delivery.”
The Cavan-Monaghan Fine Gael TD said her Department had contacted some 700 primary schools currently receiving the cold lunch option under the School Meals Programme in November seeking expressions of interest to avail of the hot school meal scheme.
The hot meals will be available to all pupils enrolled in these schools, which do not have canteen/kitchen facilities for preparation of the hot dinners on site.
“The hot meal will replace the cold lunch option that had been in place previously. Each school must identify a supplier who will supply (prepare and deliver) the hot meals in line with HACCP and food safety regulations in compliance with the Healthy Ireland ‘Nutrition Standards for Hot School Meals’.
Schools involved with the scheme will be expected to provide a menu choice of at least two different meals per day plus a Vegetarian/Vegan and an option that caters for students’ religious and cultural dietary requirements.
Also, today, Minister Humphreys published ‘Evaluation of the Hot Meals Pilot’ which was carried out on behalf of the Department and completed in July 2020.
Minister Humphreys commented: “This research has found that the hot school meals pilot project had a very positive impact on their child’s attendance at school, physical health and psychological wellbeing.
“Overall, the results were encouraging with the majority of parents, teachers and SNAs rating the hot meals as better quality than food that children ate previously.
“This is a sound endorsement for the expansion of the Hot School Meals programme and I would hope to extend it further to include additional schools in the future.”