Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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409. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a detailed report on the school meals scheme, providing the nutritional information for all meals provided, where the ingredients are sourced, the nutritional requirements set by the Department for Children, Equality, Disability and Youth; who is regulating the providers; if her Department will take the responsibility to regulate and oversee this service; the current levels of childhood obesity in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9802/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Hot School Meals Programme is funded by the Department of Social Protection (DSP). 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 a vital component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. The Department of Social Protection is continuing to expand the School Meals Programme and is building further on the significant extension of the programme that has taken place in recent years.

A specific standard was set for School Meals by the Department of Health under the Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals. These were based on the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Food Based Dietary Recommendations for healthy eating by a technical working group led by:

• the Health and Wellbeing Programme of the Department of Health
• Safefood and
• the Healthy Eating and Active Living Programme in the Health Service Executive.

The Department of Education funds the Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), a central support resource, to provide guidance to all primary and post-primary schools (except ETB schools) on any procurement-related issue. The SPU provides guidance on the procurement by schools of suppliers of Hot Meals under the programme.

All schools must submit a sample menu with their application to the Department of Social Protection for the School Meals Programme. Funding will not be provided for food that does not comply with these standards. All participating schools must also submit to that department a signed Service Level Agreement which clearly sets out the school’s responsibilities and obligations in terms of compliance with nutritional standards.

The Department of Social Protection has an oversight role in relation to the School Meals Programme and conducts regular inspections of schools. Under their existing audit process, some 400 schools are inspected annually.

The Department of Social Protection established an interdepartmental working group, which includes this department, the Department Education and the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, to oversee and make recommendations on the operation of the scheme.

Under the Programme for Government, the Department of Social Protection will continue to expand and improve the Hot School Meals Scheme and ensure that suppliers adhere to robust guidelines on the nutritional value of meals, meet the dietary requirements of all students, reduce food waste and utilise recyclable packaging.

The Department of Health will continue to engage with the Department of Social Protection and other agencies as a key stakeholder in this interdepartmental group, to ensure that meals are nutritious and safe for all pupils receiving hot meals.