Questions

1406. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for 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 associ…

1413. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that the hot meals service is provided to all pupils in small primary schools throughout the country as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46911/25]

1418. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the operation of the hot school meals programme; if unspent funding allocated for the provision of this programme in a school will be re-allocated to the school to match the forecasted allocation for the interim period where there is a delay in implementing the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47137/25]

1421. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the membership of and dates of meetings of the inter-departmental group on school meals. [47225/25]

1422. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of the schools that are taking part in the hot schools meals programme, by county, in tabular form. [47281/25]

1423. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools that have 20 students or less, 40 students or less, 60 students or less, 80 students or less, 100 students or less, 150 students or less, 200 students or less, 300 students or less, 400 students or less, 500 students or less that are taking part in the hot schools meals programme, by school name and county location, in tabular form…

1745. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of primary and post primary DEIS schools that currently do not offer a breakfast club, and to provide the estimated cost of providing breakfast club in these schools regardless of whether the request to offer the service. [44210/25]

1746. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of a DEIS primary and secondary school offering a breakfast club respectively, in tabular form. [44211/25]

1763. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase the roll-out of free hot school meals to all children and ensure ongoing evaluation of their nutritional content; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41205/25]

1790. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the school meals scheme; the details of both schemes; the way in which funding is allocated; the rate for same; if the review of nutritional standards is under way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41742/25]

1839. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the hot school meals programme will be expanded to the schools announced in April 2025, given that these schools still have not received the necessary paperwork to begin the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43077/25]

1840. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the paperwork necessary to begin the hot school meals programme will be distributed to schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43078/25]

1841. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason schools were not notified during the school year that the necessary paperwork for the hot school meals programme was not ready (details supplied).; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43079/25]

1842. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will announce the delay of the hot school meals programme expansion or if principals will have to communicate this to parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43080/25]

1845. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for 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]

392. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection when hot school meals will be extended to all non-fee-paying post primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39998/25]

563. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in Kilkenny and Carlow currently availing of the free school meals scheme; the annual cost of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37279/25]

283. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the quality assurance mechanisms his Department has in place to monitor the implementation of the Hot School Meals Programme; if he will confirm whether any inspections or audits were carried out during the 2024–2025 academic year; if his Department intends to publish the findings of these inspections; and if he will outline the enforcement procedures t…

284. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is satisfied that the meals served under the Hot School Meals Programme align with national and international nutritional guidelines for children; if his Department has conducted any independent assessments of the meals provided; and if he will outline the specific steps taken to address the prevalence of ultra-processed foods, such as chips,…

285. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the steps his Department has taken to ensure that children with coeliac disease and other medical dietary requirements are fully and equally included in the Hot School Meals Programme; if he has engaged with relevant advocacy groups (details supplied); and whether his Department is preparing reforms to provide medically safe, inclusiv…

286. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted any assessment of the levels of food waste generated under the Hot School Meals Programme; whether any formal cost-benefit or value-for-money analysis has been carried out; and if he will indicate whether infrastructural investment or centralised food preparation models are being considered to improve sustainability and e…

287. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the scope, methodology, and reporting timeline of the current review of the Hot School Meals Programme; to confirm whether nutritionists, school management bodies, and parent organisations will be consulted as part of the process; and to indicate whether his Department is satisfied that sufficient quality control and supplier capacity exist t…

526. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of providing free school meals for all post-primary school pupils in public schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35646/25]

278. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in the roll out of the hot school meals scheme in a school (details supplied) and to confirm that the roll out of this scheme in this school will be prioritised and delivered at the earliest possible time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35150/25]

108. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount allocated to the school meal holiday programme; the number of schools taking part, by county, in tabular form; the funding allocated in each county; if he will update the House on whether the scheme will be further rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33121/25]