Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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1406. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the urgent steps she is taking to ensure that no school loses out on their hot meals following changes to regulations which is preventing small schools from availing of a service (details supplied); the measures she will take to ensure that rural schools are being serviced sufficiently; the efforts she is taking to improve the levels of waste associated with this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46758/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Hot School Meals Programme was established to ensure that children across Ireland have access to safe, nutritious meals during the school day.  This is a core Government commitment to support children’s health, wellbeing, and educational outcomes.

The programme is designed so that meals are provided by contracted food business operators, with the responsibility for food safety and compliance with relevant legislative obligations placed on these professional providers and not on the schools themselves.  This ensures children benefit from a reliable, high-quality service, while schools are protected from having to take on responsibilities more appropriate to the providers, who will have the necessary expertise and experience in food provision.  However, if a school decides to be a food business organisation doing so brings with it significant additional legal risks, insurance implications, costs, training, operational and employer responsibilities.

The recent refinements to the procurement system, which underpins the programme, strengthens it by ensuring consistent standards across all participating schools.  They also reflect the combined input of several Government Departments and State agencies, ensuring that schools and providers operate safely and compliantly across areas such as food safety, health and safety, fire safety, and building regulations.

No new legislation has been introduced nor has there been a change in the application of the law.

Any school that is currently under contract can continue to utilise their food business operator.  Schools where the food business operator has ceased delivery of school meals have been sent information on the 4 September outlining options for the school to ensure they have access to the school meals programme.