Knockmore Junior School receive indication that hot meal issue will be resolved

Knockmore Junior School receive indication that hot meal issue will be resolved

By Hayden Moore

KNOCKMORE Junior School have received a boost in their campaign to be added to the Hot School Meals Programme, after receiving indications from the Government that they are looking to resolve the issue.

The Hot School Meals Programme is a pilot initiative which was set up to provide regular nutritious meals to children to enable them to take full advantage of the education provided to them.

Killinarden hot lunch 02 1

Pupils from Knockmore posted letters to the Minister last week

But for Knockmore Junior School, a recognised DEIS school, they were not allocated the meals despite Cnoc Mhuire Senior School receiving them on the very same campus in Killinarden.

Pupils in the school designed postcards, parents wrote letters, the community signed a petition and the school spoke to the media pleading for Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, to reconsider the decision to leave them off the programme.

This week, the government has indicated that they will re-look at the initial allocation to 189 schools to try extend the provision of the hot school meals to the schools who registered an expression of interest and were not allocated through the lottery system.

Speaking in the Dail on Wednesday morning, Paul Murphy TD again highlighted the issue of Knockmore Junior School not be designated any provision for hot school meals.

“There’s a very grave injustice being done to the pupils who attended Knockmore Junior School in Killinarden, there’s 149 pupils there and a similar injustice being done to 91 other schools and the kids who go there,” Deput Murphy said.

He added: “Why on earth should some children not get what they need because of a lottery?

“The amounts of money we’re talking about here in the scheme of things is not a lot, it’s €370 per child who accesses this scheme.”

In response, Minister Joe O’Brien admitted the inadequacies of how provisions were allocated and did say that Minister Humphreys is trying to find a solution.

“I have spoken to the minister, I know she is actively working to see if a solution can be found so that it would be possible to include those schools who were unsuccessful in the Hot School Meals programme this year,” Deputy O’Brien told the Dail.

“In terms of the lottery side of things, I suppose demand outstripped the budget allocation for it.

“We wanted to grow and unfortunately the best way that we could find for allocating the limited resources was a lottery system, which I accept is inadequate and we do need to meet the demand that is there for it.”

Of the 281 expressions of interest received by the Department, 189 schools were selected including both Sacred Heart Junior and Senior Schools, and Cnoc Mhuire Senior School in Killinarden.

Where the frustration has lied for Knockmore is how it and Cnoc Mhuire has fluid progression between the junior and senior schools, with siblings on either side.

Minister Humphrey’s did previously outline how further consideration will be given to use any excess capacity with a number of additional schools and that further provision of hot meals will need be “considered in a budgetary context”.

But now, as mentioned, Minister Humphreys is actively working to find a way around the issue and Colm Brophy TD was happy to hear the news.

“I am delighted to confirm that Minister Humphreys is looking at making a change to resolve the issue and I look forward to seeing a positive outcome, hopefully inside the next couple of weeks,” Deputy Brophy told The Echo.

“This is a really positive development for the children, the parents and the school, and I am delighted to have been able to work to resolve this with the Minister and the school.”

Similarly in Ballyfermot, Mary Queen of Angels One is receiving food through the Hot School Meals Pilot Programme but Mary Queen of Angels Two – which are housed within the same building – is not.

Principal Sean O’Shea found it “interesting that maybe they are reconsidering it”, and is hopeful that they can be allocated provision of hot school meals.

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