Questions

1163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 663 of 14 October 2025, the reason the changes outlined in the procurement documents are prohibiting smaller schools from accessing school lunches (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58068/25]

1173. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if a State-funded primary school may refuse to participate in the free school meals programme; the circumstances in which it may decide to refuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58363/25]

1174. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of primary schools that have refused to participate in the free school meals programme; the percentage this amount is of the total number of primary schools in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58364/25]

1222. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools affected by the withdrawal of hot school meal provision by county, in tabular form; the number of pupils effected in each county in tabular form; the steps the Government will take to provide meal reheating facilities to the schools which need same; the timeframe for same; the provisions the government will make in the meanti…

217. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the procurement and certification standards applied to meat and poultry products supplied under the free school meals and school lunch schemes; if halal-certified meat is being used as a default standard by State-contracted caterers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55681/25]

218. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether her Department requires lunch providers participating in the free school meals programme to inform schools and parents if meat products are halal-certified; and if she will consider introducing mandatory labelling or disclosure rules to ensure transparency and parental awareness. [55682/25]

219. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has undertaken any assessment of whether the use of halal-certified meat in school meals is compatible with the principles of religious neutrality in State-funded education [55683/25]

220. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of approved school meal contractors currently supplying halal-certified meat or poultry products under Department-funded school lunch schemes. [55684/25]

221. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools or parents are given any option to request non-halal meat or vegetarian alternatives within the free school meals programme; and if not, the reasons. [55685/25]

663. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a school (details supplied) and many other smaller rural schools are being disregarded in the provision of hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55130/25]

241. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to reduce the level of waste under the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54282/25]

339. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the full cost of providing hot school meals at primary and secondary level; if he has carried out a review of the levels of waste involved in this scheme, including food waste and non recyclable waste; if he has examined more cost efficient and environmentally friendly ways of providing hot meals; if a review has been carried out on the quality of th…

380. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update as to progress on refunds to a supplier following an overcharge of almost €786,000 uncovered by the Comptroller and Auditor General in relation to 98 schools during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic periods; the reason refunds are being made on a phased basis as opposed to a lump sum; the timeline of these refunds; the extent to whi…

325. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to the school meals scheme, if a special school that has not yet availed of the scheme can apply for funding for snacks and drinks only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52815/25]

331. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if all special schools are part of the schools meals programme; if not, the names of special schools that are not part of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52799/25]

623. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the hot meals programme for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51401/25]

664. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide clarification on the payment under the hot meals suppliers programme to specific schools (details supplied) in counties Leitrim and Roscommon. [51933/25]

84. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools under contract to a supplier (details supplied) under the hot school meals programme; the number of these schools that exclusively cater to additional educational needs; the number that are DEIS schools; the number that are DEIS+ schools; his plan to provide parents of children affected by the cessation of the services with a st…

91. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools enrolled in the school meals scheme in 2025; the percentage of waste analysis has been done in these schools; and the nature of the reporting mechanism. [50836/25]

112. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to undertake a review of the hot school meals scheme, specifically to examine the quality and nutritional value of the food being provided; whether the current levels of food waste associated with the programme are justifiable; and the steps being taken to ensure the scheme is regularly reviewed and held accountable to deliver best outcomes f…

154. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the rollout of the hot school meals programme; the percentage of schools in the Dún Laoghaire constituency that have this programme in place; in cases where there are delays, the work that is ongoing to expedite it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49131/25]

161. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Cork county that have made contact with his Department due to recent changes to the procurement system under the school meals scheme; if the Department is working with each of these schools to ensure that their school meals can continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50806/25]

169. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection regarding the hot school meals scheme, the steps he is taking to measure the food that is wasted; the steps he is taking to minimise the food that is being wasted; the measures in place to mandate those with contracts to provide free schools meals are mandated to minimise food waste; the steps he has taken to treat it as food surplus for redistribution; and…

299. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has concerns about the quality of meals being provided under the hot school meals scheme; if he has concerns about the amount of food provided under the scheme being binned due to these issues; if he has engaged with meal providers regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50996/25]

300. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons given to his Department for the refusal of a school (details supplied) to sign up to the hot meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51001/25]