Green TD Steven Matthews has welcomed the confirmation that a further 17 primary schools in Wicklow have been included in the expansion of the Hot School Meals Programme which will eventually include every school in the country. This is an issue that Deputy Matthews has worked extensively on with the Department of Social Protection since being elected in 2020. In addition, any remaining primary schools who have not yet joined the scheme can now express an interest to participate in the scheme from September.
Speaking after the announcement, Deputy Matthews said:
“When visiting schools, this issue is one that is constantly raised with me by parents, principals, and teachers.
“This is hugely positive news for families in these schools. The provision of hot meals to children is a hugely worthwhile investment in their wellbeing and development. This is particularly welcome at a time when food prices are at such a high level.
“The provision of school meals is a key intervention to tackle educational disadvantage and assist those children to achieve their full potential. The simple reality is, if children are hungry in classrooms, they can’t concentrate, and the negative knock-on impact has been shown in countless studies.
“One thing I have consistently raised with the Ministers for Social Protection and Education is the need to avoid excess waste as part of the national rollout. I believe that any vendors tendering for these contracts to provide hot school meals should include how they propose to reduce the use of single use plastic and ensure that food waste is minimised.
“I have worked with a series of schools previously that had been included in this programme in earlier rounds to ensure that funding was allocated as quickly as possible and that any other teething issues were resolved. In response to this week’s announcement, I have written to every school that has been included in this round of funding to offer my assistance to ensure that the provision of this service runs as smoothly as possible”, concluded Deputy Matthews.
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