339. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the full cost of providing hot school meals at primary and secondary level; if he has carried out a review of the levels of waste involved in this scheme, including food waste and non recyclable waste; if he has examined more cost efficient and environmentally friendly ways of providing hot meals; if a review has been carried out on the quality of th…
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
380. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update as to progress on refunds to a supplier following an overcharge of almost €786,000 uncovered by the Comptroller and Auditor General in relation to 98 schools during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic periods; the reason refunds are being made on a phased basis as opposed to a lump sum; the timeline of these refunds; the extent to whi…
325. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to the school meals scheme, if a special school that has not yet availed of the scheme can apply for funding for snacks and drinks only; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52815/25]
331. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if all special schools are part of the schools meals programme; if not, the names of special schools that are not part of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52799/25]
623. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the hot meals programme for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51401/25]
664. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide clarification on the payment under the hot meals suppliers programme to specific schools (details supplied) in counties Leitrim and Roscommon. [51933/25]
84. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools under contract to a supplier (details supplied) under the hot school meals programme; the number of these schools that exclusively cater to additional educational needs; the number that are DEIS schools; the number that are DEIS+ schools; his plan to provide parents of children affected by the cessation of the services with a st…
91. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools enrolled in the school meals scheme in 2025; the percentage of waste analysis has been done in these schools; and the nature of the reporting mechanism. [50836/25]
112. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to undertake a review of the hot school meals scheme, specifically to examine the quality and nutritional value of the food being provided; whether the current levels of food waste associated with the programme are justifiable; and the steps being taken to ensure the scheme is regularly reviewed and held accountable to deliver best outcomes f…
154. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the rollout of the hot school meals programme; the percentage of schools in the Dún Laoghaire constituency that have this programme in place; in cases where there are delays, the work that is ongoing to expedite it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49131/25]
161. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Cork county that have made contact with his Department due to recent changes to the procurement system under the school meals scheme; if the Department is working with each of these schools to ensure that their school meals can continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50806/25]
169. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection regarding the hot school meals scheme, the steps he is taking to measure the food that is wasted; the steps he is taking to minimise the food that is being wasted; the measures in place to mandate those with contracts to provide free schools meals are mandated to minimise food waste; the steps he has taken to treat it as food surplus for redistribution; and…
299. 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 due to these issues; if he has engaged with meal providers regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50996/25]
300. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons given to his Department for the refusal of a school (details supplied) to sign up to the hot meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51001/25]
80. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has any metrics for tracking wastage in the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50520/25]
81. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s processes in terms of purchasing Irish produce for schools under the national procurement thresholds; and to outline the economic value of Irish beef purchased by schools through his Department in the past five years. [50621/25]
82. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the budget allocation for the school meals programme in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [50639/25]
287. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to list every post-primary school that applied for participation in the hot school meals or school meals scheme and that was refused or deemed ineligible since 2022, with reasons; and to explain the evidence base for excluding post-primary pupils when England, Finland and the United States apply standards or programmes across older cohorts. [49464/25]
288. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the full text of any memorandum of understanding or governance agreement with the Department of Social Protection and the HSE regarding school-meal delivery on school premises, including responsibilities for safeguarding, allergens, and food-safety inspections; and if none exists, the reason for the governance gap. [49465/25]
291. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the procurement model used by schools and patron bodies for meal provision, including the use of frameworks, lot sizes, SME access, and any late rule changes in 2025 that contributed to roll out delays; and to publish the corresponding risk register entries. [49469/25]
293. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which he will ensure equity for pupils with special diets (allergies, coeliac disease, cultural-religious requirements), including compulsory written allergen information availability on site; and the dates of the last environmental health inspections per school. [49471/25]
735. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he is taking to ensure schools affected by companies pulling out of contracts due to procurement criteria in the hot school meal scheme are resolved; and or if he will introduce a temporary measure to ensure these children are catered for. [48053/25]
737. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which food waste is monitored in the hot school meals scheme; the latest data in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48091/25]
743. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he is taking to ensure that schools affected by food companies pulling out of the hot school meals scheme due to updated procurement criteria, are provided with hot meals; the interim measures in place; and when he expects this issue will be resolved, allowing all schools to avail of the free hot school meal scheme. [48314/25]
744. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason Youthreach services are excluded from qualifying for the school meals grant. [48316/25]