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.

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 with a budget of €300 million.

There is a nutritional standard in place for the School Meals Programme since it’s inception. A specific standard was set for School Meals under the Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals. A technical Nutrition Sub Group comprised of Dietitians from the following organisations was involved in developing these standards:

• The Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland,
• The HSE,
• Safefood, and
• The Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

These standards are available to all schools, organisations and suppliers and are publicly available on gov.ie

Nutritional standards are a priority for me and for the Government. I have asked for a review of the scheme’s nutritional standards, and this will be conducted by a dietician who will be supervised by the Department of Health and in coordination with the Interdepartmental Group on School Meals. I have asked for a report on the nutritional standards be submitted to me by the end of the year.

In the meantime, food that is high in saturated fat, sugar and salt will be removed from the school menus by September 2025. Up to now this food had been permitted once a week at most and only when selected by the child's parents.

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. It is the responsibility of each school board to administer the Programme in their school, including 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.

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

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.

As stated in the Programme for Government, I will continue to expand and improve the Hot School Meals programme and that suppliers adhere to robust guidelines on the nutritional value of meals, the dietary requirements of students, the reduction of food waste and the use of recyclable packaging.

I trust this clarifies the matter.