Large number of Kilkenny school pupils to benefit from government programme
Nineteen new primary schools in Kilkenny will join the Hot School Meals Programme
Nineteen new primary schools in Kilkenny will join the Hot School Meals Programme which begins later this month.
The programme will aim to provide more hot, nutritious meals for local schoolchildren.
The Department of Social Protection provides the funding to schools for the School Meals Programme, and it is the responsibility of schools to choose their supplier in an open, fair and transparent manner in accordance with national legislation and EU directives on procurement.
Overall, 713 new schools, 131,700 more children and 475,000 kids in total are now eligible for the scheme nationwide.
The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.