I propose to take Questions Nos. 687 to 691, inclusive, and 698 together.
The 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.
My Department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school and it is the responsibility of each school board to administer the Programme in their school including handling the procurement process. The Schools Procurement Unit under the Department of Education and Youth, provides guidance to schools for all procurements including the School Meals Programme. They have published a Procurement Support document for the Provision of Hot Meals for Primary Schools which clearly outlines that schools cannot accept payments, gifts, or inducements from tenderers or Food Business Operators.
The Department of Education and Youth in conjunction with my Department provided webinars and frequently asked questions to support schools through their procurement process including the evaluation of tenders. Neither department collects information regarding the composition of evaluation team.
Schools as Public Bodies are independent Contracting Authorities and 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 School Board of Management are responsible for selecting their evaluation team and it is recommended that members of the Board of Management or School Principal chair the evaluation team and that members of the Board of Management, School Principal, and member of the parents' association can take up evaluator and note taker roles in the evaluation team.
My Department has an oversight role in relation to the School Meals Programme and conducts regular inspections of schools. Under the existing audit process, some 400 schools are inspected and a further 121 desk assessments were conducted in 2024. This represents a 20% total check on schools. For 2025, 400 schools were inspected and the desk assessments increased to 155 cases as more schools become eligible to join the programme.
The Schools Procurement Unit is under the remit of the Department of Education and Youth, and can advise if they have received any complaints, concerns regarding procurement integrity, inducements, gifts, within the Hot School Meals Programme since 2023.
All schools seeking School Meals funding must sign a Service Level agreement with my Department. The Service Level agreement states that schools should not accept any gifts, donations, or consideration from a supplier that are directly or indirectly linked to the selection by them as the supplier of the school meals. The criteria for the selection of suppliers of school meals must be objective and only for the supply of the school meals in accordance with the principles of transparency, non-discrimination, equal treatment within Public Procurement rules.
