John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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556. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the programme for Government commitment to continue to review and expand the roll-out of the new hot school meals initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25063/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 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. 

As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020.  The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities. 

In the Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, the Government have undertaken to continue to review and expand the roll-out of the Hot School Meals initiative.

In Budget 2021, I announced that an additional €5.5m would be provided to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option.  

Expressions of interest were received from 281 schools to avail of the hot school meals.  189 of the schools were selected and are making arrangements for the provision of hot school meals to all children attending the school this year.  I also published the research report of the hot school meals pilot which was carried out on behalf of my Department and completed in July 2020.

The purpose of this piece of research was to gain an insight into the impact of the project from the perspective of parents, teachers, SNAs, principals and food suppliers.

The research includes ratings of the hot meals provided during the pilot project, as well as its value, implementation and administration.

The research found that -

- overall the hot meals are rated highly in terms of quality, choice, portion sizes, dietary requirements and nutritional value;

- two thirds of teachers/SNAs said the pilot project had a positive impact on a child’s diet;

- over two thirds of teachers/SNAs and principals rated the hot meals as better quality than the food children ate previously;

- over two thirds of teachers/SNAs and principals said the pilot project increased food waste;

- three in five parents strongly agree that their children enjoyed taking part.

The findings of this research will be used to help the Department make decisions about the future of the Programme. 

Any further extension of the provision of hot meals will need to be considered in a budgetary context. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.