Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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482. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he is satisfied that providers under the Hot School Meals Programme are not required to provide his Department with details of their preparation methods for meals provided under the programme; his views on whether the Food Safety Authority of Ireland guidelines and regulations (details supplied) are robust enough to ensure that all meals provided to schools under the programme are of good quality and meet a strong nutritional standard; if he is aware of reports or ultra-processed foods being provided under the programme; if he plans to address same; the steps he is taking to improve the nutritional content of the meals being provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13318/25]

Dara 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.

My department has an oversight role in relation to the School Meals Programme and conducts regular inspections of schools which includes reviewing the menu. Under the existing audit process, some 400 schools are inspected annually by my department. These inspections assist my department in ensuring standards are being met in relation to different areas of the School Meals Programme.

Suppliers are not required to provide the department with details of the preparation method of the meals but are required to comply with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (HACCP) guidelines and with Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals.

In December 2024, my department established an interdepartmental working group, which includes the Department of Health and the Department Education, to oversee and make recommendations on the operation of the scheme, including nutrition inspection and evaluation. The work on this group is ongoing.

I want to assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that the nutritional standards of the School Meals Programme offers children a balanced and healthy diet to assist them in meeting the objectives of the programme.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Ciarán Ahern (Dublin South West, Labour)
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483. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps he will take to address the amount of food waste and single-use disposable plastic packaging under the Hot School Meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13319/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Under the School Meals Programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My Department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school and it is the responsibility of each school board to administer the Programme in their school, including handling the procurement process.

All schools who wish to avail of funding under the programme are responsible for choosing their schools meals supplier on the open market, in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules. These rules clearly define the successful tenderer’s responsibilities and obligations.

Under tender documentation, and as stipulated by the Schools Procurement’s Unit, the school meal supplier is responsible for operating policies which progressively address environmental considerations such as waste and packaging. Depending on the school size and school meal requirements, the school will decide on the method and logistics that best meets its needs in line with environmental standards.

In addition, under tender documentation requirements, the school is committed to the principles of environmental management in its activities, and it encourages the implementation of sustainability principles in its procurement practices. The supplier should make all reasonable efforts to minimise adverse environmental impact in the methods of services delivery and in materials used.

The Schools Procurement Unit, which is grant funded by the Department of Education, provides guidance to schools for all procurements including the School Meals Programme. This includes guidelines to:

• Promote sustainability
• Offer healthy food choices
• Reduce plastic and non-recyclable packaging
• Support Green Public Procurement as required by the Environmental Protection Agency
• Implementing recommendations outlined in Green Tenders – Action Plan