Shay Brennan
Question:87. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection If he will provide a county breakdown of the numbers of students receiving a hot school meal every day. [67249/26]
View answerThursday, 24 September 2026
Questions (87)
Written answers
Since September 2025 all 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 are eligible for support. This equates to the distribution of up to 3.4 million school meals per week.
The table below gives the breakdown of the number of children in receipt of Hot School Meals per day, by county for the 2025/26 academic year. The 2026/27 academic school year started three weeks ago and applications are currently being processed.
|
County |
Number of Children in Receipt of Hot School Meals per day |
|
CARLOW |
6728 |
|
CAVAN |
9614 |
|
CLARE |
11471 |
|
CORK |
52227 |
|
DONEGAL |
18063 |
|
DUBLIN |
92105 |
|
GALWAY |
26669 |
|
KERRY |
14694 |
|
KILDARE |
22498 |
|
KILKENNY |
10413 |
|
LAOIS |
10300 |
|
LEITRIM |
3504 |
|
LIMERICK |
20340 |
|
LONGFORD |
4726 |
|
LOUTH |
13703 |
|
MAYO |
13802 |
|
MEATH |
20793 |
|
MONAGHAN |
6749 |
|
OFFALY |
8450 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
7056 |
|
SLIGO |
4129 |
|
TIPPERARY |
17722 |
|
WATERFORD |
11854 |
|
WESTMEATH |
11004 |
|
WEXFORD |
17922 |
|
WICKLOW |
14976 |
|
Total |
451,512 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.