For School Milk Brid Rodgers the Minister responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development today announced the intention to make more money available for the EU subsidised school milk scheme. I also wish to thank my Ministerial colleagues Bairbre De Brun and Martin McGuinness for agreeing to co-fund with my Department the shortfall of 110,000 and thereby ensure that school children throughout Northern Ireland will continue to gain full benefit from this Scheme. This is a very good example of the benefits of having a local administration to decide on such matters. This decision is good news for school children and their parents. It will help to ensure that nursery and primary school children continue to have the opportunity to acquire the milk drinking habit at an early age.
Milk is a very suitable drink for young children.
I know that this support for the school milk scheme will also be welcomed by milk producers and processors. I am therefore very pleased that my Department can make a contribution towards the shortfall in EU funding. I would encourage nursery and primary schools to make use of this scheme. Milk is a good source of calcium, which is essential for strong bones and teeth and forms an important part of a healthy, balanced diet for children. The EU funded scheme on school milk requires Member States to make available subsidies for whole and semi-skimmed plain and flavoured drinking milk and unsweetened unflavoured wholemilk yoghurt provided to children attending primary and nursery schools.