93. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection how Healthy Ireland nutrition standards and specific dietary requirements are enforced in the school meals programme. [8362/25]
TDs / Louise O'Reilly
Louise O'Reilly
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769
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
109,508
words spoken in the chamber
Across 611 contributions. Plus 82 contributions from the chair, not counted
400
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
161
topics asked about
Across 20 departments
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Who they ask
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Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 769 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 611 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
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| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 4 | 18 |
| February 2025 | 31 | 58 |
| March 2025 | 36 | 41 |
| April 2025 | 39 | 15 |
| May 2025 | 96 | 43 |
| June 2025 | 40 | 34 |
| July 2025 | 34 | 52 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
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| July 2026 | 16 | 19 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 29 | 19 |
| October 2026 | 10 | 12 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 370 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Dublin Fingal West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
We understand the importance of the school meals programme but it is equally important that when kids are availing of this programme, the food is decent, of good quality, healthy and nutritious. I know from talking to teachers in my constituency that, for some kids, these meals may represent a significant proportion of the food they eat on any given day. It is important that those standards are upheld.
Irish Country Living has found that traceability of the food can be poor and that ingredients are often just listed as "pasta sauce" on the website. This has been widely reported in the media. We also know that the same amount of funding, €3.20 per meal, and the same portion sizes are given to children from junior infants right up to sixth class. That should be looked at because children's nutritional needs change an…
We all saw the Jamie Oliver programmes in England and his war on turkey twizzlers and all of that. We have an opportunity to not let the situation get to that level. I welcome the Minister's commitment to monitoring the system. The Department must be very proactive as a significant amount is being spent here. That buying power should be used to drive up and maintain standards rather than allow standards to slip.
It …
Hear, hear.
They know what it is about.
I do not rate you, Tánaiste-----
------but when it comes to misrepresenting people you clearly know what you are talking about.
We know that the Tánaiste's party has carried out an internal investigation into the inappropriate behaviour of a sitting Fine Gael Senator towards a female member of staff working in the Oireachtas. We know that a very substantial sum of money was donated to a charity on foot of the outcome of that investigation. We know also that the Senator in question was selected by the Fine Gael Party and endorsed by the Tánais…
That is not acceptable.
I was not here for all of this debate but I listened to most of it and I heard Deputy Barry Ward refer to home ownership as giving you a stake in society. My God, I do not know what that says about the thousands of young people the Government has locked out of home ownership. It does not give you a stake in society. It is absolutely classist to suggest that it does and that home ownership somehow makes you more equal…
I am very privileged and proud to represent the people of the constituency of Dublin Fingal West. We are a very young constituency, one that is growing and expanding. We are also a constituency and a community that faces many challenges. I get that some of the challenges cannot be foreseen. I do not blame the Government for things that are outside its control. However, there is nothing more certain that on the day wh…
I thank the Minister of State for the reply. He spoke about some of the pressures being created, such as those caused by the duplication of applications. I have sympathy for parents who make duplicate applications, particularly because they feel they have no choice. When they come into my office, we have a conversation and talk about what they are doing. They are being told by the schools to collect their refusals an…
I welcome the victims, survivors and their families in the Gallery. I thank Deputy Coppinger and her group for bringing forward this motion and providing us with the opportunity to have this important discussion. In November last year, Focus Ireland published a report which found domestic violence is a significant factor in making mothers and their children homeless. I will, if I can, illustrate this point by using j…
Hear, hear.
Was it like that when you got here?
The Taoiseach is publishing a report.
You are the Government.
I wish both the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Minister all the best in their new respective roles.
In her opening remarks, the Minister referred to a renewed sense of optimism. That optimism really not shared by people with disabilities in my constituency because they are living with the consequences of the policies of the Government parties and their attitude to persons with disabilities. They tell me that they are clo…
Based on the figure of 40,000.
I thank my colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, for bringing this motion forward this evening. I represent one of the youngest constituencies in this State. There is an urgent and desperate need for more spaces for kids with additional needs in Dublin Fingal West. I want to talk to the Minister about Kaylen. Kaylen is a lovely bright five-year-old boy. His mam is Jodie and he lives in Balbriggan. In 2022, Kaylen was diagnosed…
I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this motion. I also take a few moments of my time to thank my colleague an Teachta Ó Broin for the honest, straightforward solutions and focused proposals he has consistently put forward. Before I came in here, I called Marian, who is my constituency manager. I got her to run through just the cases that have come in during the last couple of days. One concerns a woman I met m…
40,000 houses.
He meets everyone.
He did make the remarks.