Questions

1270. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the review currently being undertaken by the CORU-registered dietitian of the School Meals Programme includes an assessment of pupil meal uptake rates, food wastage, pupil and school satisfaction, meal acceptance, supplier compliance with nutritional standards and value for money; whether the findings will be published; when the review is expec…

1271. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether unsuccessful suppliers under the hot school meals scheme have access to any formal review, reconsideration, complaints or appeals mechanism beyond raising queries with the contracting authority; whether any independent review mechanism exists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43626/26]

740. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the inability of some schools in County Clare and elsewhere, including a school (details supplied) to access school meals due to their geographical location; the measures he will take to ensure all pupils can access much needed school meals regardless of their location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38930/26]

744. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools participating in the hot school meals scheme are required to retain written conflict-of-interest declarations from all persons involved in tender evaluation processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39264/26]

745. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether unsuccessful suppliers under the hot school meals scheme have access to a formal procurement appeals or review mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39268/26]

746. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Office of Government Procurement was consulted in the design of the current hot school meals scheme procurement framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39269/26]

747. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any minimum weighting is applied to nutritional quality, freshness, meal presentation or food standards within hot school meals scheme tender evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39270/26]

748. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools participating in the hot school meals scheme are required to maintain records of all communications with suppliers during live procurement competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39271/26]

753. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will intervene in the case of a school in County Clare (details supplied) which, owing to its peripheral location, is unable to procure a contractor to supply hot meals to their school under the school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39510/26]

654. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of free school meal providers nationwide; the breakdown of schools and their providers; the source of the meat and chicken for these meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37119/26]

687. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department or the Schools Procurement Unit has received any complaints, reports, disclosures or allegations relating to gifts, inducements, free goods, promotional items, branded merchandise, service add-ons or other benefits being offered by suppliers to schools during live Hot School Meals tender competitions since 2020; the number of such…

688. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit has issued any guidance, circular, instruction, advisory notice or compliance communication to schools regarding the prohibition on accepting gifts, inducements or benefits from suppliers participating in Hot School Meals procurement competitions; and if he will provide copies of same. [37395/26]

689. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any investigation, audit, review, procurement examination or legal assessment has been conducted concerning allegations of gifts or inducements being offered to schools during Hot School Meals procurement processes; the outcome of any such examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37396/26]

690. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department or the Schools Procurement Unit maintains records of schools reporting offers of free water dispensers, bottled water, branded lunch boxes, food containers, promotional merchandise or similar items from tendering suppliers during Hot School Meals competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37397/26]

691. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools participating in the Hot School Meals Scheme are formally advised that the offering or acceptance of gifts, inducements or advantages during live procurement competitions may constitute breaches of public procurement rules and the Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37398/26]

692. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit permits external accountancy, consultancy or administration firms to conduct, manage, score or administer tender evaluations on behalf of schools under the Hot School Meals Scheme; whether any approval process exists for such arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37399/26]

693. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools participating in the Hot School Meals Scheme which used external third-party administration, consultancy or accountancy firms in the management or evaluation of procurement competitions in each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37400/26]

694. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit has conducted any audit, compliance review or governance assessment concerning the composition of tender evaluation teams used by schools under the Hot School Meals Scheme; whether any external firms were identified as participating in evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37401/26]

695. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether actual food quality, taste, nutritional standard, presentation or meal sampling forms part of the formally weighted evaluation criteria under the current Hot School Meals procurement framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37402/26]

696. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit intends to introduce a mandatory and formally weighted food quality assessment component within future Hot School Meals tender evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37403/26]

697. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has conducted any assessment of whether the current hot school meals procurement framework disproportionately favours suppliers with sophisticated written tender submissions over suppliers providing higher-quality food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37406/26]

698. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any legal advice has been sought by his Department, the schools procurement unit or the Office of Government Procurement regarding the legal implications of suppliers offering gifts, promotional items or undeclared service add-ons during active hot school meals procurement competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37407/26]

700. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he intends to take to ensure the integrity of the hot school meals procurement process; to ensure compliance with public procurement law and anti-corruption obligations; and to ensure that contracts are awarded on the basis of genuine food quality, nutritional standards and service delivery rather than administrative capability, documentation …

402. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit has issued any guidance, circular, advisory note, or compliance communication to schools participating in the Hot School Meals Programme concerning the offering or acceptance of gifts, promotional items, complimentary services, or other inducements by suppliers during live procurement processes; and if he will provid…

403. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any complaints, concerns, or reports have been received by the Schools Procurement Unit regarding procurement integrity, inducements, gifts, or undeclared supplier incentives within the Hot School Meals Programme since 2023; and if he will provide the number of complaints received and the manner in which they were addressed. [36297/26]