Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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1845. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of school children who will be in receipt of hot meals from the start of the next school year, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43201/25]

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.

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.

Number of children eligible to receive Hot School Meals by county: