Topics / School Meals Programme

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

School 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
MonthQuestions
January 20257
February 202528
March 20258
April 202513
May 202526
June 202513
July 202519
August 20250
September 202541
October 202512
November 202523
December 202522
January 202615
February 202627
March 20266
April 202610
May 202634
June 202618
July 20263
August 20260
September 202625
October 20269

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.

  • Aontú13 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil70 from 26 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael43 from 10 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party2 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent23 from 7 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland49 from 2 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party26 from 9 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity9 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin90 from 23 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 48
  2. 22
  3. 17
  4. 13
  5. 12
  6. 10
  7. 9
  8. 8

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Darren O'Rourke Written 10 Jun 2025 · to Social
947. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of primary and post primary DEIS schools that were denied funding for breakfast club for the school year 2024-2025, in tabular form. [30245/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 10 Jun 2025 · to Social
949. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of primary and post primary DEIS schools not being provided with a breakfast club; and the estimated cost of providing these schools with funding for a breakfast club. [30353/25]
Cathy Bennett Written 29 May 2025 · to Social
408. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will report on the provision of hot school meals in primary schools; her response to reports highlighting poor nutritional value, waste and facilities in relation to the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28835/25]
Emer Currie Written 29 May 2025 · to Social
439. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection if a school (details supplied) are eligible to provide a breakfast club through the school meals or DEIS programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28531/25]
Emer Currie Written 29 May 2025 · to Agriculture
484. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if special schools located in DEIS areas can provide a breakfast club through the EU school milk scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28529/25]
Emer Currie Written 29 May 2025 · to Agriculture
485. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a school (details supplied) are eligible to provide a breakfast club through the EU school milk scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28533/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 28 May 2025 · to Social
288. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of providing hot school meals per child in primary school; the cost per child in post primary schools; and the cost per child in other organisations, respectively in the years 2023 to 2024 and to date from 2024 to 2025, by academic year, in tabular form. [27901/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 28 May 2025 · to Social
292. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of providing hot school meals per child in every post primary school in the State; the cost, per child, in post primary schools; and the cost, per child, in other organisations, respectively in the 2023-2024 academic year and to date in the 2024-2025 academic year, in tabular form. [28220/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 28 May 2025 · to Social
293. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of providing hot school meals per child in primary school; the cost of providing dinner club per child in post primary schools; and to provide the cost of breakfast club, lunch and school club per child in other organisations, respectively, in 2023 -2024 and to date in 2024-2025, academic years, in tabular form. [28323/25]
John Paul O'Shea Written 21 May 2025 · to Social
83. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a breakdown of all primary schools now in receipt of the Hot School Meals Programme, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26212/25]
Eoin Ó Broin Written 20 May 2025 · to Social
602. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the options under the school meals scheme for children with diagnosed medical conditions relying on strict dietary routines; if such children were considered in the design and roll out of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25549/25]
Eoin Ó Broin Written 20 May 2025 · to Social
603. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection if input from metabolic dieticians will be sought in the review of the nutritional values of the school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25550/25]
Michael Cahill Written 14 May 2025 · to Social
123. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to make it compulsory for company's delivering the hot meals scheme in County Kerry to deliver to all schools in that area and not discriminate due to distance and remoteness (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24679/25]
Mark Ward Written 13 May 2025 · to Social
819. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if children (details supplied) are included in the hot meals programme; if the dietary conditions of the programme has been reviewed recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24197/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 7 May 2025 · to Education
160. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if it is the case that funding constraints mean that the breakfast clubs at schools, including in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11, are forced to cancel; the number of schools affected by this; if she will immediately address this funding shortfall and ensure the continuation and re-instatement of breakfast clubs in these schools; and if s…
Eoin Hayes Written 7 May 2025 · to Health
555. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Health for an update on the review being conducted into the nutritional value of hot school meals; if the outcome of the review will be implemented in time for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22685/25]
Louise O'Reilly Oral 1 May 2025 · to Social
81. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of concerns raised about the nutritional value of school meals; if he has considered utilising non-profit groups like an organisation (details supplied) for this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21757/25]
Aisling Dempsey Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
96. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of schools in Meath now eligible to receive hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21639/25]
Martin Daly Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
101. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the review of nutritional standards in the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21728/25]
Thomas Gould Oral 1 May 2025 · to Social
104. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection for details of the review into the hot school meals programme. [21369/25]
Michael Cahill Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
109. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Kerry now eligible to receive hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21420/25]
Catherine Connolly Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
116. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection what engagement his Department had with the Department of Education in relation to additional expenses being incurred by island schools in the delivery of the school meals programme, whereby island schools are required to fund the transport of meals to the island and from the quay to the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [145…
Willie O'Dea Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
134. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of schools in Limerick and the total number of schools in Clare that are now eligible to receive hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21539/25]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
135. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of schools in Kilkenny, and Carlow, that are now eligible to receive hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21379/25]
Barry Ward Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
149. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the review of the nutritional requirements and quality of food provided under the hot school meal programme; if there is a timeline for these standards to be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21729/25]