Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 June 2026
74. 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. [46031/26]
View answerAll 3,200 primary schools and 550,000 children are eligible for hot school meals. Across all meal types, there some 3,700 schools and 682,000 children eligible for support. 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.
Under the Hot School Meals mandatory procurement documentation there are four delivery options the school as the contracting authority can choose. Hot School Meals delivered ready to eat and fully prepared on-site are two of those options.
Green Procurement and Sustainability account for a fifth of the total marks in the Call for Tender Procurement documentation.
There are some 300 suppliers in the School Meals Programme with the majority of these supplying one to three local schools. In addition, there are meals on wheels organisations and community organisations supplying local schools. Local suppliers are creating local employment and some of the larger suppliers have local hubs who employ local drivers for transport and local staff in schools to serve the meals. This Department has also 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.
