Island school hot meals costs
Deputy Connolly said island schools face extra freight costs to deliver hot meals and asked for help. The Taoiseach said he would raise the issue with the Minister and try to resolve the unintended extra cost.
The extended roll-out of the hot meals programme to schools has been welcomed, I think, by all schools. There might be questions about the quality on occasions but that is for another day. Baineann an cheist atá á cur os comhair na Dála agam inniu leis na costais bhreise atá i gceist chun na béilí a chur chuig na hoileáin. I understand that a school on the Aran Islands has incurred an extra cost of more than €100 per month - I understand it may be as much as €120 - because of transport and freight costs. It has written to the Department of Social Protection, but there has been no move yet to deal with the matter. I know that the Government's policy is to roll out this programme so that all schools have it, but I do not think it was envisaged that island schools would incur extra costs in order to benefit from the scheme. I ask the Taoiseach to deal with this.
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Beidh mé ag caint leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, faoi sin anois. Tá an Teachta ag rá go bhfuil sé i bhfad níos costasaí do na scoileanna ar na hoileáin a bheith páirteach sa scéim seo. Ní raibh sé sin i gceist againn. Le cúnamh Dé, beimid in ann é sin a réiteach sula i bhfad. Ardóidh mé an cheist leis an Aire, an Teachta Calleary.