MINISTER for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has launched the Hot School Meals Programme 2021, which will benefit some 35,000 pupils in 189 primary schools across Ireland.
Eight more Limerick schools have been chosen to take part in the new scheme.
Carambola, a local school meals company based in Annacotty Business Park are delighted to be able to provide support and nutritious hot meals to the schools in Limerick.
Carambola is very proud to have been the chosen school meals provider in the initial Hot Meals Pilot Scheme. Working closely with the Department of Social Protection and a primary school, Carambola were able to design and help implement a school meals programme now benefiting thousands of children in Ireland.
Research into the Hot Meals Scheme found that the “pilot project has had a very positive impact on children’s attendance at school, as well as their physical health and psychological wellbeing”.
Aideen O Brien, a Director of Carambola knows the importance of delivering hot meals safely and how staying local during this difficult time can have huge benefits.
“We are delighted the school meals programme has had such a positive impact on the local economy, we have a state-of-the-art food premises here in Annacotty and we provide local employment for over 100 people”.
She goes onto say “When we were asked to get involved with the Pilot Scheme, we enlisted the help of local chefs and food suppliers to ensure we met the required Nutritional Standards for School Food. We continue to work with those same chefs and suppliers”.
Aileen Ní Choisteala, principal of Gaelscoil Sheoirse Clancy, on the Roxboro Road is delighted her school has been chosen to take part. “We have been with Carambola for over 10 years now and the children are looking forward to switching their cold lunch to a hot meal during the day. Carambola very kindly brought in some hot food to sample. We’ll have to see which will become the school favourite, the Chicken Curry or the Beef Bolognese”.
The Hot School Meals Programme is part of the overall School Meals Programme, which provides funding towards the provision of food to schools in Ireland.
