Many parents and staff from Ennistymon Community School have been in touch with my office regarding the withdrawal of funding for school meals as a result of the amalgamation of three schools. Of the three, only the former vocational school had DEIS status and, as a consequence, school meals in place. The school meals were to be temporarily extended to all pupils until the DEIS issue was ironed out but the service has been gone since the Hallowe'en mid-term break. I met the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, the other day. I also contacted the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, who issued a letter yesterday evening that clarifies that she will continue with the free school meals all the way up to the end of the school year. This is really welcome but officials from the Department of Social Protection, along with officials from the Department of Education, now need to engage with the school. We have circumstances in which one school had DEIS status while the other two did not. Where there is an amalgamation, surely there should be a little common sense. The altruistic policy of the Government to extend free school meals to all primary schools could surely be tweaked to allow for anomalies such as this one to be dealt with.

I thank Deputy Cathal Crowe for raising this important issue. I have a note from the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, advising me that in light of the circumstances of Ennistymon Community School, she has asked her officials, on an exceptional basis, to continue funding the school meals programme for all students until the end of the current academic year, which will run until next summer. This will allow time for her to engage with the principal and board of management at Ennistymon Community School on these matters. I do not want to make a commitment on behalf of the Minister that she might not be able to keep but I believe the fact that she is extending the scheme until the end of the academic year is very welcome. She is very committed to expanding the school meals programme, not just for children who face disadvantage and disadvantaged schools but for all children. I know she will do her best to work with the Deputy on this.