Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats)
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355. To ask the Minister for Health if she will conduct a review of the school meals and place mandatory minimum nutritional and quality guidelines in place for service providers when contracting with individual schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56018/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, 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.

The Nutritional Standards for School Meals have been in place since its inception and were developed by a technical Nutrition Subgroups comprised of:

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

The Department of Social Protection provides the funding for the School Meals Scheme directly to schools. 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.

In December 2024, the Department of Social Protection established an interdepartmental working group, which includes the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Department of Children, Equality and Disability, to oversee and make recommendations on the operation of the scheme, including nutrition inspection and evaluation. This is a standing group which will make recommendations on matters within its remit on an ongoing basis.

In 2025, the Minister for Social Protection requested a review of the scheme’s nutritional standards, and this is being conducted by a dietitian, supervised by the Department of Health, and in coordination with the Interdepartmental Group on School Meals. A report on nutritional standards will be submitted to the Minister of Social Protection by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the Minister for Social Protection has requested that items that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt be removed from school meals menus from September 2025. Up to now this food had been permitted once a week at most and only when selected by the child's parents. The technical nutrition sub group are tasked with updating the Nutrition Standards for school meals.

The Department of Social Protection 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 onsite annually by that department. In total, 121 desk assessments were carried out in 2024. This represents a 20% total check on schools. For 2025, 400 schools will be inspected, and the desk assessments will be increased to circa 250 cases as more schools become eligible to join the programme. Ongoing audits can increase or decrease based on risk assessments levels.

These inspections assist the Department of Social Protection in ensuring standards are being met in relation to different areas of the School Meals Programme.