Loyalist
01-06-2009, 07:07 PM
Immigrant children who are not entitled to free school meals are to get help from the government in Northern Ireland.
School pupils in the Belfast area from Roma families, had been excluded from free lunches.
A south Belfast principal, whose school has more than 30 Roma children, went to the government with concerns about the pupils living in poverty.
Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, has now agreed to fund the free meals.
Originally, the Department of Education had said it would give schools £7,000 to tide them over until the new financial year.
However on Tuesday, Ms Ruane went further and agreed that the children should get the free school meals.
Children cannot get free school meals unless their parents are claiming some sort of benefit.
That ruled out the Roma children because of the status of Romania in the European Union.
The Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities said it had told Roma families from Romania that since they were not entitled to take paid employment and could not claim benefits, they should return to their home country.
It said it was concerned they may be vulnerable to criminal gangs.
Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7814352.stm)
School pupils in the Belfast area from Roma families, had been excluded from free lunches.
A south Belfast principal, whose school has more than 30 Roma children, went to the government with concerns about the pupils living in poverty.
Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, has now agreed to fund the free meals.
Originally, the Department of Education had said it would give schools £7,000 to tide them over until the new financial year.
However on Tuesday, Ms Ruane went further and agreed that the children should get the free school meals.
Children cannot get free school meals unless their parents are claiming some sort of benefit.
That ruled out the Roma children because of the status of Romania in the European Union.
The Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities said it had told Roma families from Romania that since they were not entitled to take paid employment and could not claim benefits, they should return to their home country.
It said it was concerned they may be vulnerable to criminal gangs.
Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7814352.stm)