546. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Health the statutory role of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland in supervising, auditing, or enforcing food safety, hygiene, and traceability among suppliers participating in the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11194/26]
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.
-
48
-
22
-
17
-
13
-
12
-
10
-
9
-
8
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
212. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department's engagements with food suppliers in the run-up to launching the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10539/26]
213. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider sanctioning pilot funding for developing a community-driven, place-based model of provision within the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10540/26]
734. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection how effectively the Hot School Meals Programme reaches children in rural areas, such as County Laois, including those attending small schools; the gaps in coverage; the way in which food waste is minimised while ensuring nutritional quality; the way in which delivery is monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10426/26]
735. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to monitor and ensure the nutritional quality of food provided under the Hot School Meals Programme; the way in which compliance checks are carried out on suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10427/26]
751. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will take to address the exclusion of coeliac children from hot school meals; the measures he will take to address concerns regarding cross contamination making school meals unsuitable for coeliac children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9675/26]
723. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of local providers of the hot school meals per county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7880/26]
328. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of both primary and secondary school children in County Carlow that are benefitting from the free schools meals scheme. [7346/26]
329. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of both primary and secondary school children in County Kilkenny that are benefitting from the free schools meals scheme. [7347/26]
63. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will consider developing an educational module to be delivered in conjunction with the Hot School Meals programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6726/26]
98. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the next steps a school (details supplied) should take to access the hot school meals scheme, once it has agreed contractors and suppliers. [6746/26]
701. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the review into the nutritional standards of the of the school meals programme has concluded; the outcomes of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6055/26]
702. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the metrics or KPIs currently in place to assess meal quality, student satisfaction, and effectiveness of the school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6056/26]
703. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if any analysis has been undertaken to understand the causes of food waste under the school meals programme, given its implications for nutrition, public expenditure, and climate impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6057/26]
685. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection when some local primary schools in County Leitrim (details supplied) will receive funding for invoices supplied in relation to school meals delivered. [3460/26]
701. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Carlow that have applied for the school meals scheme for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4003/26]
702. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Kilkenny that have applied for the school meals scheme for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4004/26]
23. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the percentage of primary schools in the Dún Laoghaire constituency that are currently participating in the hot school meals programme or have started the process of providing this service in the school; the actions being taken to further expand this to all remaining primary schools in the area; and if he will make a statement on th…
58. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is a stipulation within the hot school meals programme requiring that only Irish-produced meat, poultry and dairy products be used in the provision of hot meals in Irish schools; if not, whether he will consider introducing such a requirement in order to support Irish farmers, ensure high food standards and promote sustainability; and if he wil…
77. 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; if he has engaged with meal providers regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2323/26]
413. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to shift provision of the hot school meals scheme to non-profits (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68468/25]
1598. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has been made aware of the challenges schools with fewer than 75 pupils face in securing school lunch providers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2202/26]
441. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has concerns regarding aspects of the tendering process (details supplied) for the provision of free school meals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73453/25]
623. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Social Protection the inter-Departmental consultation and communication taking place to ensure review of the school meals scheme, to include an opt-out if the school community requests same, with re-distribution of funding for other supports, deemed necessary by the school principal in consultation with the school community. [71341/25]
625. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a school in Cork (details supplied) is experiencing a delay in having their school meals rolled out; if the timeline will be reviewed considering that the school is one of the only ones in the area without a school hot meal in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71722/25]