626. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has received any complaints from schools or parents in relation to the hot school meals programme; the approximate number of complaints received; if he will provide a general summary of the concerns and issues raised; if specific concerns have been raised in relation to the nutritional value of meals; and if he will make a stateme…
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
627. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the names of all suppliers currently involved in the delivery of hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71742/25]
628. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the types of businesses providing hot school meals and the flexibility that is allowed under the procurement guidelines; if local restaurants and supermarkets are providing hot school meals as well as larger national providers; if the preference is for locally sourced meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71733/25]
629. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if Meals on Wheels are being utilised to deliver hot school meals in rural communities that are not being catered for by larger providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71734/25]
630. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has received the report in relation to the nutritional standards for school meals; if this report has examined the menus being offered by suppliers; if it has identified significant variances in terms of meal quality between suppliers; when he intends to publish the report and its recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter…
631. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if all primary schools nationwide are now in receipt of hot school meals; the overall number of schools now receiving a hot school meal; the number of primary schools who are not yet receiving a hot school meal and the reasons for this; the total number of suppliers providing hot school meals nationwide; the total number of pupils benefiting from h…
632. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps his Department is taking to address food waste under the hot school meals programme; his views on whether this is a widespread issue with the programme; the specific changes that have been introduced to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71737/25]
633. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if recyclable packaging is being used in the provision of all hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71738/25]
656. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools with funded breakfast clubs in Cork. [72126/25]
566. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has concerns about aspects of the tendering process (details supplied) for the provision of free school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69754/25]
160. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount the Government has spent on the school meals programme, by year from 2019 to date in 2025; in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68199/25]
161. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the main providers of the school meals programme; the way in which providers are contracted; the way in which they apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68200/25]
162. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to local providers in the school meals programme; if the Government advertises in local media for food suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68201/25]
163. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection if the Government has done a review with parents in relation to the quality of the meals in the school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68202/25]
164. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the way schools can withdraw from a contract for the school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68203/25]
167. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if secondary schools that entered the DEIS programme from 2022 onwards are excluded from the school meals scheme; the reason a school (details supplied) has not yet been able to access funding for hot school lunch provision; when this school will be able to access funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68310/25]
205. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a school (details supplied) will be fully developed and end its current prefabrication status; if there are any plans to incorporate the school meals scheme at the school in the absence of existing facilities; if there are any plans for traffic safety/calming measures in the vicinity of the school in the absence of same; and if she will mak…
382. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the schools within Dublin 5, Dublin 13 and Dublin 17 that have availed of the school meals scheme for the 2025 to 2026 school year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67849/25]
390. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection when a school (details supplied) which is part of the DEIS programme since 2022 will be entitled to avail of the hot school lunch provision under the school meals scheme; if he accepts a disparity exists between this school and others in the locality which have students from similarly disadvantaged backgrounds but have provision for hot school meals…
391. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if individual schools have any discretion under the tendering and procurement process when selecting the provider of their school meals, taking into consideration local factors, price, menu selection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65555/25]
590. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a school (details supplied), which received DEIS status in 2022, has not yet been approved to provide hot meals to its students; the steps her Department will take to ensure that the school can access the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66158/25]
591. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an application from a college (details supplied) for funding towards a breakfast club for the current academic year was denied; if this decision will be revisited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66169/25]
180. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of primary schools in the State that do not currently have access to the free school meal scheme, despite being eligible, by county, in tabular form. [64170/25]
181. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the date in Q4 2025 that we can expect publication of the review carried out on nutritional standards of the free school meal scheme. [64171/25]
709. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the schools who operated school meals scheme across County Louth for the academic school year 2024-2025; and the number of children in each school who received meals through the scheme, in tabular form. [63042/25]