Brendan Griffin
Question:395. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an issue with a school (details supplied) in County Kerry has still not been resolved. [22718/24]
View answerTuesday, 21 May 2024
Questions (395)
Written answers
The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering 443,000 children are now eligible for funding.
Schools are responsible for choosing their own School Meals supplier on the open market in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with Public Procurement rules. My Department provides the funding directly to the schools, who are then required to procure the provision of the food in compliance with Government procurement rules and with relevant Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, Food Safety regulations and the Nutritional Standards for School Meals.
In circumstances where a school is unable to secure a hot meals supplier due its location or facilities and space, I would suggest they reach out to local caterers or supermarkets within its area. If a school is still unsuccessful in securing a supplier, they should then try to source a local supplier that could instead provide a lunch with drink as an alternative to a hot meal.
I trust this clarifies the matter.