Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
654. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of free school meal providers nationwide; the breakdown of schools and their providers; the source of the meat and chicken for these meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37119/26]
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 Scheme would be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025, meaning that approximately 3,700 schools and organisations and 682,000 children are now eligible for the School Meals Programme.
My Department provides the funding for food to schools. My department does not select or approve suppliers. All schools as independent contracting authorities, are responsible for choosing their school meals supplier on the open market, in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules. The Department of Education and Youth Schools Procurement Unit provides guidance to schools for all procurements including the School Meals Programme. These rules clearly define the successful tenders responsibilities and obligations. The primary relationship is between school and supplier.
My department does not collect information on where the supplier source their ingredients. Under the National Green Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2027 it states "a minimum of 10% by value (€) of food sought by public sector bodies under new contract arrangements (including via contractors such as canteen service providers), is to be certified organic in each of the following categories of Cereals, fresh Beef, Lamb, Pork, Poultry, Fish, Vegetables and Dairy products, where possible.’
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, high animal welfare standards on meat, free-range eggs, marine conservation certified fish.
There is no stipulation that food should originate from Ireland only. It should be noted that under EU laws, and as reflected in public procurement rules, it cannot be specified that food must originate from a particular country. That would be in breach of EU single market rules.
In relation to suppliers 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).
