Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
556. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will put in place to ensure that the Hot School Meals Programme supports local employment, delivers freshly prepared meals on a daily basis and ensures the programme supports sustainability and local economic development across all eligible providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31904/26]
View answerThe objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The Programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals would be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025, meaning that approximately 3,200 schools and 550,000 children are now eligible for a Hot School Meals. This equates to the distribution of up to 3.4 million school meals per week.
My Department provides the funding for food to schools. All schools who wish to avail of funding are responsible for choosing their school meals supplier on the open market, in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules. These rules clearly define the successful tenders responsibilities and obligations.
The Department of Education and Youth School Meals Procurement Unit with the support of the Interdepartmental Working Group on School Meals developed mandatory procurement documentation for the Hot School Meals Programme in August 2025.
Under the Department of Education and Youth template procurement documentation it stipulates that menus must include a range of locally sourced produce along with a greater use of sustainable food, for example, in-season produce.
There are some 300 suppliers in the School Meals Programme with the majority of these supplying one to three local schools. There are eleven meals on wheels organisations supplying forty schools and there are nine large school meal providers (defined as supplying 40 schools or more). This Department worked with officials in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and compiled a list of supports available to local community organisations who may wish to expand their operation into the school meals area.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
