Written answers

Wednesday, 19 February 2025

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

School Meals Programme

Photo of Erin McGreehanErin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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134. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of schools per county in receipt of the hot meals scheme, in tabular form. [6560/25]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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.

In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals Scheme will be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025, meaning that approximately 3,200 schools and 550,000 children will be eligible for hot school meals in 2025.

The following schools per county are in receipt of the Hot Meals Scheme for the 2024/2025 academic year:

County No. of schools in receipt of hot meals
Carlow 32
Cavan 59
Clare 58
Cork 165
Donegal 143
Dublin 214
Galway 121
Kerry 81
Kildare 46
Kilkenny 47
Laois 44
Leitrim 28
Limerick 94
Longford 32
Louth 41
Mayo 105
Meath 58
Monaghan 44
Offaly 42
Roscommon 53
Sligo 26
Tipperary 118
Waterford 37
Westmeath 49
Wexford 89
Wicklow 47

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Photo of Erin McGreehanErin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

135. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for the hot meals scheme, by county, in tabular form. [6561/25]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals Scheme will be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025, meaning that approximately 3,200 schools and 550,000 children will be eligible for hot school meals in 2025.

The following schools per county, have applied to date for the Hot Meals Scheme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

County Applications received for hot meals
Carlow 32
Cavan 60
Clare 63
Cork 175
Donegal 148
Dublin 231
Galway 127
Kerry 84
Kildare 48
Kilkenny 49
Laois 45
Leitrim 28
Limerick 96
Longford 32
Louth 42
Mayo 111
Meath 58
Monaghan 45
Offaly 43
Roscommon 55
Sligo 26
Tipperary 118
Waterford 38
Westmeath 49
Wexford 92
Wicklow 49
Total 1944
I trust this clarifies the matter.

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