Children in two Donegal primary schools will be getting free hot meals for lunch this September under a new scheme.
S N Domhnach Mor, Castlefin and Clochar Padraig Naofa, Carndonagh are two of 36 schools nationwide where the pilot project will be trialled this year.
Under the Hot School Meals Project, schools will be given funding to source suppliers for the lunches. Families will not be asked to pay for the meals.
Each primary school participating in the pilot project will be expected to provide a menu choice of at least two different meals per day plus a vegetarian/vegan choice and an option that caters for students’ religious and cultural dietary requirements.
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D today announced that more than 6,600 students in a variety of schools will be trialling the project.
Minsister Doherty said: “A hot school meal is not just about nutrition but it also guarantees a better education. The research out there shows us that children who benefit from a daily nutritious hot dinner have greater focus and better learning outcomes.”