School Meals Programme

1431. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection her Department's plans to review the hot school meals programme with regard to nutritional content and consistency with State-issued public health and dietary advice. [19712/25]

1457. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will intervene in a situation regarding the provision of hot lunches at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20469/25]

2200. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if she has any concerns regarding the quality consistency of the school meals programme with regard to the Healthy Ireland framework, the principles of Sláintecare, and concerns raised by clinicians and parents regarding nutritional value; if she has or will have any discussions with the Minister for Social Protection on the matter; if she…

295. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the school lunch programme for rural schools, especially in Kerry, as rural schools are faced with a lack of providers for the school lunch programme as the distance is prohibitive; if she will increase the funding for this service in rural schools to reflect the distances from local providers to the schools; an…

261. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to give greater flexibility in the hot meals programme menu being offered to children in special schools (details supplied), especially for children with additional sensory needs and specific dietary preferences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16404/25]

262. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will take to ensure that food produced in Ireland will be included in the first instance for hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16432/25]

185. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the name of the provider that currently holds the largest contract for delivering hot school meals to primary and secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16181/25]

482. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied that providers under the Hot School Meals Programme are not required to provide his Department with details of their preparation methods for meals provided under the programme; his views on whether the Food Safety Authority of Ireland guidelines and regulations (details supplied) are robust enough to ensure that a…

483. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he will take to address the amount of food waste and single-use disposable plastic packaging under the Hot School Meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13319/25]

1000. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on when the next round of applications under the school meals programme will be accepted, as the only information to hand suggests that schools will be accepted on a phased basis starting on 1 April 2025, however it is important that information is supplied to schools in advance of that date in order that applicati…

1013. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are any plans to introduce a school meals scheme at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11274/25]

314. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if they will instruct his Department to reevaluate partnerships with private companies supplying food as part of the hot school meal programme to ensure that nutritional needs of the students are being met and waste kept to a minimum. [10358/25]

122. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to further roll out the school meals programme; if so, the way the programme will expand and develop in terms of school numbers; and if the roll out will be countrywide or regional. [10124/25]

409. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education to provide a detailed report on the school meals scheme, providing the nutritional information for all meals provided, where the ingredients are sourced, the nutritional requirements set by the Department for Children, Equality, Disability and Youth; who is regulating the providers; if her Department will take the responsibility …

766. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Health to provide a detailed report on the school meals scheme, providing the nutritional information for all meals provided, where the ingredients are sourced, the nutritional requirements set by the Department for Children, Equality, Disability and Youth; who is regulating the providers; if her Department will take the responsibility to …

93. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection how Healthy Ireland nutrition standards and specific dietary requirements are enforced in the school meals programme. [8362/25]

105. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to concerns related to the quality and nutritional value of some of the food provided under the hot school meals programme; if he proposes to create guidelines regarding standards and nutritional requirements for service providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8484/25]

115. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for the further extension of hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8385/25]

120. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to roll out hot school meals to all secondary schools; when the first phase will be delivered; the schools that will be included; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8318/25]

156. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will investigate the reasons for a funding change in the food grant given to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8619/25]

157. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if the hot meals programme menus cater for all food allergies and if the ingredients and cooking methods reach the standards for healthy eating as per the standards outlined by the WHO; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8608/25]

197. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance he is giving to schools under the school meals programme who are unable to secure a catering provider to roll out this programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8367/25]

608. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the remaining schools will be able to avail of the free school meals programme; the timeline for its full implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7981/25]

266. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 68 of 15 May 2024, to provide details of the tender documentation provided; to provide the options given of considerations for reduction in waste of packaging; and to provide all schools’ budget allocation and expenditure on school meals in tabular form. [6870/25]

267. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the details of the process for quality checks of the Healthy Ireland Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals. [6871/25]