Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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The 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.

There is a nutritional standard in place for the School Meals Programme since its inception. 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 primary relationship is between the school and supplier. 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, including in relation to compliance with Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals.

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 last year, which includes this department, the Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, to oversee and make recommendations on the operation of the scheme.

Agreement has been reached with the Department of Social Protection with the Department of Health to appoint a dietitian from the HSE to carry out a review of the nutritional standards for hot school meals with a view to developing an audit mechanism to ensure compliance. The Department of Health will recruit a dietitian to commence this work as soon as possible.

Minister Calleary has asked for a review of the scheme’s nutrition standards to be completed under the auspices of the Interdepartmental Group on school meals. He has asked for a report to be submitted by the end of the year.