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 …
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
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]
404. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools participating in the Hot School Meals Programme are permitted to consider or accept supplier-provided items, services, or promotional materials outside the formally scored tender submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36298/26]
405. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit maintains any audit or compliance process regarding tender evaluation procedures used by schools under the Hot School Meals Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36299/26]
406. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether external administration, consultancy, or accountancy companies are permitted to administer, manage, score, or participate in tender evaluations under the Hot School Meals Programme; and whether guidance exists governing such arrangements. [36300/26]
407. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department or the Schools Procurement Unit collects information regarding the composition of evaluation teams used by schools during Hot School Meals procurement competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36301/26]
408. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether food quality, taste assessment, nutritional presentation, or food sampling are formally weighted or scored within the current Hot School Meals tender evaluation framework; and if he will provide details of any mandatory assessment requirements. [36302/26]
409. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken any review of whether the current Hot School Meals procurement framework adequately assesses actual food quality delivered to children as distinct from written tender documentation. [36303/26]
410. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any review has been undertaken into the governance and procurement integrity controls operating within the Hot School Meals Scheme since the expansion of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36304/26]
411. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Office of Government Procurement has provided any guidance, observations, or recommendations to the Department or the Schools Procurement Unit concerning procurement compliance within the Hot School Meals Programme. [36305/26]
115. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if hot school meal suppliers are paid in advance for the expected number of school meals they supply in a year to an individual school; whether, if children opt out of receiving the hot school meals, the cost of those meals is refunded to the Department; if data on the number of children opting out can be provided; and if he will make a statement on th…
555. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection when he plans to compile and publish a pre-approved list of suppliers for schools participating in the Hot School Meals Programme (details supplied); if he will ensure that, in developing these county-based supplier lists, priority is given to local suppliers using locally sourced produce, in order to support sustainable food systems, reduce food mile…
556. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will put in place to ensure that the Hot School Meals Programme supports local employment, delivers freshly prepared meals on a daily basis and ensures the programme supports sustainability and local economic development across all eligible providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31904/26]
44. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection 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; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29990/26]
84. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the provision of the hot school meals programme by not-for-profit suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31209/26]
194. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has considered expanding the school meals programme to all post primary schools; the estimated cost of this measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29183/26]
747. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the roll out of the hot school meals programme to secondary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30287/26]
105. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a pathway for a school in Drogheda (details supplied) to retain their current model for hot school meals and ensure they are funded to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29040/26]
1903. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanism by which a company can be placed on a pre-approved list of local suppliers regarding the hot school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25553/26]
1904. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanism by which a company can be placed on a pre-approved list of local suppliers regarding the hot school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25554/26]
1906. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department collects or retains data on the number of pupils who have opted out of the hot school meals scheme since its introduction; and if so, to provide that data, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25590/26]
1907. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if providers of the hot school meals scheme are paid a set amount which remains unaffected regardless of whether or not the number of pupils in a school accessing the scheme falls during the school academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25591/26]
2709. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to three schools (details supplied) that have been without hot school meals since June 2025; if she will ensure the EHO conducts a return inspection on these schools immediately, to allow hot meals to return; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23892/26]
665. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will sanction a national audit of nutritional standards and supply chain sustainability within the Hot School Meals Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21769/26]