Child Poverty
Dail Éireann — 2023-01-31
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Paul Murphy (PBP), Dublin South-West

When Deputy Varadkar became Taoiseach again, he spoke about his vision to make Ireland the best country in Europe in which to be a child. The point has been made about hot school meals and the substantial impact that can have on children. Why is at least one school, and presumably others, in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the country having its entitlement to hot school meals removed? That is happening to St. Aidan's Senior National School on Brookfield Road, Tallaght. The school authorities were previously told by the Department that they were entitled to access the hot meals scheme. They made arrangements with Glanmore Foods and installed industrial ovens. The pupils completed their food orders. They have recently been informed that their school is not entitled to access the hot school meals scheme, even though it is a DEIS band 1 school. It does not make any sense whatsoever.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2023-01-31/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:43+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-01-31