Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Education and Training
Period
1 Sep, 2015 to 31 Dec, 2015
Specific Details
IPPN submission to the JOC - School Meals Programme (Dec 2015)
Intended results
1 in 5 children come to school hungry. IPPN notes that DEIS schools are particularly concerned with, and involved in addressing Food Poverty, however the absence of a systematic national strategy to prevent hunger in schools is evident in terms of an ad-hoc, uneven and sometimes inequitable provision.
Having 3 lead agencies responsible for addressing food poverty means that no one department/individual is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring a National Strategy for Hunger Prevention in Schools. IPPN sees an opportunity for one of these Departments to fully accept responsibility for developing, implementing and monitoring a National Strategy for Hunger Prevention in Schools and for initiating school meals programmes in all schools beginning with DEIS schools.
IPPN considers that a co-ordinated and streamlined School Meals Programme, in the context of a National Strategy for Hunger Prevention in Schools, provides an excellent opportunity to address the ‘Transformational Goals’ and ‘Outcomes’ detailed this Framework.
Schools, through the School Meals Programme, provide an ideal setting to address Food Poverty with positive effects on short-term hunger in children, and positive impacts on punctuality, eating habits, health, welfare and educational attainment.
That the new budget commitment to school infrastructure provides an opportunity allocate an explicit funding strand within it, for building kitchens in schools and to make schools aware of this possibility.
IPPN feels that the Centenary Year celebrating the ideals of 1916 provides an excellent opportunity for Developing a National Strategy for Hunger Prevention in Schools, ‘cherishing all of the children of the nation equally’.
The current system has resulted in ad-hoc provision whereby there are different models of provision, different levels of funding, inequities, lack of clear guidelines and confusion. 100 DEIS schools are still not availing of School Meals.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Irish Primary Principals' Network
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Submission (1)
Submission made in December 2015 to the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Edward Brophy
Special Advisor (Department of Social Protection)