Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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475. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the meals provided for in each school meals programme meets the requirements set out in Healthy Ireland guides and the obesity policy and action plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39704/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations, benefitting 227,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take 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 September 2017, under the auspices of Healthy Ireland, with the assistance of Safefood and the Health Service Executive, nutrition standards for school meals were launched. These nutrition standards were distributed to all schools participating in the scheme and access to healthy eating guidelines are available on the school meals website.

Schools and organisations must reapply for funding in advance of each school year and are required to submit detailed records at the end of each school year. Applicants to the scheme are directed to the Department’s website which clearly advises that funding is for healthy nutritious food only and provides examples of the food items. Expenditure on unhealthy food items is deducted from the following year’s funding allocation. In addition, the Department initiated an on-site inspection programme in 2012 in participating schools to ensure that the scheme rules are being adhered to. The inspection includes an assessment of the type of food provided.

I hope this clarifies the matter.