Publication
School Meals Scheme: Your questions answered
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
All DEIS and non DEIS primary schools are eligible for hot meals from 2025. Secondary schools are not eligible to apply for hot school meals.
Once you are eligible for school meals and if you are supplying school meals you will be entitled to funding every year, but you still need to apply each academic year.
Yes, schools and organisations have to reapply for funding before the start of each school year and have to submit detailed records. The application form is available online from May and the closing date is the end of October.
If you are a Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) school, you are eligible for at least one club or meal.
If you are a non DEIS school and were previously getting school meal funding, you will qualify for this funding.
Yes, you must have a separate bank account used only for school meals if funding is more than €10,000. This must be a current account which requires two signatories on the account.
Funding is issued directly to the school and the supplier invoices the school depending on numbers. The school is responsible for managing the money and paying the supplier directly. Each year the school submits a SMLPS 2 form which is the income and expenditure report along with the new application SMLP 1 form. Any leftover funding is carried over as a balance for the next school year.
The school meals funding is for providing food items to children. There is no funding available from school meals to employ staff to manage the scheme in schools. Bank charges are also not covered.
The school should find a company who is able to provide it with the school meals based on the schools’ facilities. It is between the school and the supplier on how the service is delivered to the school. There are a number of suppliers and each one can operate differently from another. Meals are at a standard rate so schools can select the supplier who can offer the best food quality and different menu options.
School meals funding is paid in two instalments by EFT payment. The first instalment is on the 1 September and covers 14 weeks from September to December. And the second instalment is on 8 January and covers 22 weeks from January to June.
Primary schools can claim a maximum of 36 weeks and secondary schools can claim a maximum of 33 weeks.
Once the application is received and awarded before the 1 September, payment is issued on this date. If an application is awarded after 1 September, it will start on the date of award and be in the schools bank account within 3-5 working days.
Yes, we carry out desk assessments and inspections to ensure that the scheme rules are in line. Schools are required to submit an income and expenditure report at the end of each year and all invoices for a selected month must also be submitted with the application to make sure funds are being spent appropriately and invoices are correct.
Yes, they can opt out, but the school needs to check that the supplier is not invoicing the school for these. If a number of children opt out, we should see a surplus of school meals funds at the end of the school year.
The current school meals funding options are as follows:
rates per pupil per day:
| Breakfast club | €0.75 | |
| Snack | €0.75 | |
| Lunch club | €1.40 | |
| Lunch club (with drink) | €1.70 | |
| Dinner | €2.20 | |
| Dinner (with drink) | €2.50 | |
| Hot meals | €3.20 | |
| Afterschool club | €1.40 | |
| Afterschool club (with drink) | €1.70 |
We provide the funding to schools for the school meals programme. It is the responsibility of the school to choose their supplier in an open, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with national legislation and EU directives on procurement. Any questions on this process, you can contact www.spu.ie directly.
There is no approved list of suppliers. For a tender, the Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) are available to help with this process. For procurement advice, learn more about the SPU School Meals Scheme , or contact SPU directly by emailing procurementsupport@spu.ie
Nutritional standards apply to the school meal programme. The nutritional standards for school meals were put together by a working group led by the health and wellbeing programme in the Department of Health. This was in consultation with Safefood and the Healthy Eating and Active Living Programme in the HSE. The school must agree to carry out these guidelines and monitor the food to ensure these guidelines are being met. Our inspections team carry out both on site and online assessments throughout the year to review compliance.
Schools are responsible for choosing their own school meals in a fair and clear manner in accordance with public procurement rules. Under the tender documentation as set out by the Schools Procurement Unit, the menu is to be suitable for those with food intolerances and allergies, from lactose-free to vegetarian to gluten-free. The supplier is to check with the school when awarded the contract, the details to accommodate children with allergies and the supplier must provide clear visible menu boards with an allergens list.
Under tender documentation as set out by the School’s Procurements Unit, the school meal supplier is responsible for operating policies which addresses environmental considerations such as waste and packaging.
The method and logistics of supplying the meals is decided by the school. Under tender documentation as set out by the School’s Procurements Unit, the school is committed to the principles of environmental management in its activities, and it encourages the implementation of sustainability principles in its procurement practices and that the supplier should make all reasonable efforts to minimise the environmental impact.