Limerick Mayor allocates €10,000 to keep St Munchin’s breakfast programme running

Limerick Mayor John Moran has committed €10,000 from the Mayoral Fund to sustain the school breakfast and food programme at St Munchin’s Community Centre for the coming year, pending required funding approvals.

The centre’s breakfast club opens at 8 am daily and provides meals to more than 200 children from local primary schools, including Corpus Christi Primary School, Moyross. For many of the children it is the main meal of the day.

Linda Ledger, CEO of St Munchin’s Community Centre, told the Mayor that the programme was under extreme financial pressure and would have had to cease after Halloween without additional support. The centre has been covering shortfalls from its own resources, but funding has generally fallen short.

With the €10,000 allocation, the centre can now confirm the continuation of the existing service for a further 12 months, giving it time to place the programme and other activities on a more sustainable financial footing.

Mayor Moran said children cannot learn on an empty stomach and highlighted the health‑equity importance of school meals. Ledger thanked the Mayor, noting that the breakfast club is a vital social start for the children and hoping the funding will prompt a review of how state resources reach community centres.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: Amar Preciado / Pexels.