I firmly believe the school meals programme, particularly hot school meals, is extraordinarily important for students' general nutrition, personal development, general well-being and also for learning. While it is an intervention to provide for children in more vulnerable situations insofar as the country can afford it, it should be a priority to extend that programme. It is not necessarily only the students in the traditional disadvantaged schools that need this programme. There can be a real need for it elsewhere.

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection took an initiative this year to provide hot school meals in 36 schools that did not have them, with one third of those being DEIS or disadvantaged schools. This will take in 7,200 children. It will cost €1 million this year and €2.5 million in a full year. That is in addition to €57.6 million spent on school meals in general in a given year. I believe that figure should be expanded. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to the House to discuss how the programme could be increased incrementally every year to capture as many schools as possible. As a former teacher and from general observation, I firmly believe it is one of the greatest possible interventions that can be made for young children. It is a direct measure. It is not always by cash payments that we can achieve equality, fairness and societal development.

Hear, hear.

Sometimes other interventions are much more appropriate and this programme is one of them that is very good.

A related and important measure, but one that is of secondary importance compared with the school meals programme, is the piloting of an idea in which the Taoiseach has a personal interest and which we need to develop further, namely, giving free books to students in schools rather than providing the social welfare support of the free book scheme. That should be examined. Those two interventions would have a major effect and potentially could have a great impact on education. To revert briefly to the school meals programme, it makes for nutritionally healthy and properly developed young people, gives them a quality of life, enhances their personal and holistic development and leaves them in a position to learn. Teachers throughout this country or any country would advise that the greatest obstacle to learning is children who come to school on an empty stomach and remain that way during the day and, in some instances, perhaps have only junk food. That is very sad. I appeal to the Leader to take this up as a serious project. This is the House where these issues should be properly aired. I ask the Leader to also take up the matter of the school book scheme.