State may fund Enable meals scheme

A hot meals service which was due to be removed from a school for children with disabilities may now be funded by a State-run school meals scheme.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Mary Coughlan, has sent an application form for the school meals scheme to the Enable Ireland school in Sandymount, Dublin.

Parents were recently told that the hot meals service would be removed on March 24th, but, following protests, the decision was deferred until May 6th. It is part of a series of cutbacks being initiated by Enable Ireland because of financial difficulties. The move was highlighted by The Irish Times yesterday.

The State's school meals scheme targets schools in disadvantaged areas, and has recently been expanded to cover the whole State, instead of just urban areas.

It will also include post-primary as well as primary schools.

Yesterday, Ms Coughlan said she was "disturbed" to think that the hot meals service could be removed from the Sandymount school.

"I am concerned that schools may not be fully aware of the changes I have made extending the school meals scheme, and I will be undertaking an information campaign to promote the scheme," she said.

A spokeswoman for Enable Ireland said the school was aware of the meals scheme and it was one option being considered.

"We are applying for it but the grant does not cover the full cost of the scheme." she said.

The scheme is funded through the local authorities but they may only recoup 50 per cent of their expenditure on the provision of meals for eligible children only.

Ms Coughlan said her officials were immediately in contact with the school when news of their financial difficulties broke in this newspaper last week.

She said she would have the school's application considered "as a matter of urgency".

The Parents and Friends' Committee of the school has welcomed Ms Coughlan's announcement.