Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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390. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a school (details supplied) which is part of the DEIS programme since 2022 will be entitled to avail of the hot school lunch provision under the school meals scheme; if he accepts a disparity exists between this school and others in the locality which have students from similarly disadvantaged backgrounds but have provision for hot school meals under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68139/25]

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.

The Programme for Government contains a number of measures to continue the development of the School Meals Programme including to complete the roll-out of Hot School Meals to all Primary Schools in 2025/26 academic year and ensure that suppliers adhere to robust guidelines on nutrition, waste and packaging.

The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools known as the DEIS programme is a Department of Education and Youth policy which aims to reduce educational disadvantage. Our lady Mercy School, Beaumont, Dublin 9 is a DEIS Secondary school and all DEIS secondary schools have access to the School Meals Programme.

The Hot School Meals Programme is for Primary Schools. My immediate priority is to complete the roll-out of Hot School Meals to all Primary Schools in 2025/26 academic year. However, as the Programme for Government sets out, we will commence the rollout of Hot School Meals to all secondary schools over the lifetime of this government.

Our lady Mercy School, Beaumont have made an application for the School Meals Programme on the 3rd October 2025. We have requested further information from the school and my officials have followed up with a phone call. They have confirmed they will send in the information required and as soon as this is received a decision will be made.

I trust this clarifies the matter.