109. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has been informed of any closures or concerns about hot school meal providers by the food safety authority Ireland; if so, when; and the response of his Department. [74836/26]
Topics / School Meals Programme
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSchool Meals Programme
359 questions from 90 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 21 October 2026.
359
questions
352 written, 7 oral
90
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
5
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 7 |
| February 2025 | 28 |
| March 2025 | 8 |
| April 2025 | 13 |
| May 2025 | 26 |
| June 2025 | 13 |
| July 2025 | 19 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 41 |
| October 2025 | 12 |
| November 2025 | 23 |
| December 2025 | 22 |
| January 2026 | 15 |
| February 2026 | 27 |
| March 2026 | 6 |
| April 2026 | 10 |
| May 2026 | 34 |
| June 2026 | 18 |
| July 2026 | 3 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 25 |
| October 2026 | 9 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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48
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22
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17
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13
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12
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10
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9
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8
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
272. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if alternative arrangements can be approved for small schools where existing kitchen facilities do not meet the new requirements for the School Meals Programme; if funding is available to help schools make the necessary adaptations; if the impact of these requirements on small and rural schools has been assessed; and the immediate solution that c…
478. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will urgently review the payment rate for the secondary school meals programme; and his views on whether the secondary school meal rate should be brought in line with the primary school rate and increased to €3.20 per meal. [71435/26]
482. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the mechanism to pay suppliers under the current school meals programme has been modified; and if the Minister is satisfied that all suppliers will be paid within 30 days of invoices having been submitted. [71565/26]
483. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will consider an increase in the secondary dinner rate with a drink in the school meals programme to €3,20 from €2.50 to equalise it with the hot schools meal and backdate it to the beginning of this school year, as providers are finding it difficult to maintain services with the costs incurred. [71653/26]
395. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he will take to ensure that suppliers for school meals comply with the removal of HFSS (high fat salt and sugar) items from meals, as a review showed suppliers still include these in 18 per cent of meals and they are the most consumed menu items by children. [69737/26]
396. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection the specific action he is taking to move school meals (details supplied) towards a model where meals are cooked from fresh raw ingredients from scratch in one kitchen, and away from the current predominant ‘assembly and reheat’ model used in the Irish school meal programme. [69735/26]
397. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to address issues of packaging waste in the hot school meal programme and to adjust procurement guidance, or carry out trials, to support models which reduce both packaging and food waste, support sourcing of quality local ingredients, and ensure the food is cooked and served fresh, as the nutritional review and Ipsos survey do not ad…
403. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps a school (details supplied) should take, now that they cannot source a provider for hot or cold school meals. [69989/26]
500. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale behind the new DEY guidelines, whereby uneaten food supplies under the hot lunch scheme will not be sent home with the children at the end of the day (details supplied). [68137/26]
509. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection to list the companies contracted to provide school meals under the scheme and to provide details of the sources of beef and chicken used by each supplier. [68509/26]
510. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of how beef and chicken products supplied under the School Meals Programme are transported and delivered, including whether products are imported pre-cooked, frozen or chilled; whether they are delivered to schools frozen, chilled or ready-to-eat; and the processes involved in their preparation prior to consumption by pupils. [68508…
511. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the traceability arrangements in place for such products, including the country in which the meat is reared, slaughtered, processed and packaged. [68507/26]
512. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of the source and provenance of food ingredients supplied under the School Meals Programme; specifically the country of origin and supply chain for all beef and chicken products provided to schools under the scheme. [68506/26]
17. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the dieticians' report on the nutritional standards for the hot school meals scheme. [67383/26]
18. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the mechanisms in place when parents or students have problems with the quality, options or nutritional value of the food provided under the Hot School Meals Programme. [66651/26]
59. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the dietician report into the nutritional standards of the hot school meals scheme, including recommendations for improving the nutrition. [67250/26]
87. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection If he will provide a county breakdown of the numbers of students receiving a hot school meal every day. [67249/26]
84. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will engage with a school (details supplied) to roll out the School Meals Programme. [67300/26]
94. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the data his Department holds on food waste and single-use packaging arising from the Hot School Meals Programme; whether a national assessment of food and packaging waste has been undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67636/26]
95. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the proportion of contracts under the Hot School Meals Programme that are currently held by for-profit companies, not-for-profit companies, not-for-profit organisations, community organisations or cooperatives, respectively; the consideration that has been given to increasing the participation of community and not-for-profit providers in the programme; a…
96. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection when he intends to publish the evaluation of service review of the School Meals Programme (details supplied), specifically the Hot School Meals Programme; whether the review will be made publicly available in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67639/26]
97. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection for a list of schools in Dublin West, Dublin 15 and Dublin 7 who access the Hot School Meal Programme. [67517/26]
381. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance available to a school when no catering provider is willing or able to serve its area for school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66434/26]
382. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to ensure that small rural and Gaeltacht schools are not excluded from the school meals programme because of their location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66435/26]