To ask the Minister of Education whether his Department will instruct and fund the Education Authority transport department to deliver nutritional meals to pupils self-isolating due to COVID-19 who are in receipt of free school meals.

Since 1 September the Department has made a number of Temporary Modification to Education Duties Notices under the Coronavirus Act 2020 to require the Education Authority and individual voluntary grammar and grant-maintained schools to provide food to specified pupils entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) who are unable to attend school for a period of 10 days or more due to Covid-19 and wish such provision.

https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/notice-coronavirus-act-2020-temporary-modification-education-duties-no-16-notice-northern-ireland

The EA school meals service makes food provision, by way of a food parcel to the value of a FSM for the required number of days for collection or delivery, in respect of pupils specified in the Notice in controlled, maintained and special schools at the school’s request. The food parcels can be collected by the parent, delivered to the pupil’s home by the school as part of pastoral care or delivered by taxi arranged by catering staff.

Individual Voluntary Grammar and Grant-Maintained Integrated schools are responsible for making food provision in respect of pupils specified in the Notice in their school.