Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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658. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection what assistance her Department can offer in circumstances where a small rural school is having difficulty in procuring a supplier under the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44320/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There are some 2,200 primary schools currently eligible for hot school meals for the 2024-2025 school year. As announced in Budget 2025, Hot School Meals will be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025 meaning that there will be 3,200 eligible schools in respect of 550,000 children.

Funding under the programme is solely for food and is made available on the basis of a set price per meal per child per day. 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 and the primary relationship is between school and supplier.

My Department has engaged with other such schools who have been unable to secure a hot meals supplier due their location, facilities or space, and have advised them to reach out to local caterers or supermarkets or to try to source a local supplier that could instead provide a lunch with drink as an alternative to a hot meal. In such circumstances, many of these schools have been able to provide school meals to their pupils.

If the school referred to by the Deputy has any questions in relation to this matter they can contact officials of my Department at school.meals@welfare.ie and they will clarify any queries that the school may have and advise them of the options available to them.

I trust this clarifies the matter.