School Meals Scheme: Your questions answered

• Following the Ministers announcement today there are 2,850 primary schools now participating in the hot school meals programme for the current academic school year. As announced in Budget 2025,Hot School Meals will be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025 meaning that there will be 3,200 eligible schools in respect of 550,000 children from September 2025. The Department will be engaging with the 300 schools who are not yet on board, to encourage them to participate.
• The Minister also announced that a review of the nutritional standards for the scheme will be completed by a dietician who will be supervised by the Department of Health and in coordination with the Interdepartmental Group on School Meals. The Minister has asked for a report on the nutritional standards to be submitted to him by the end of 2025.
• In addition, the Minister announced the removal of food that is high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt from the programme from September 2025. Up to now, this food had been permitted once a week at most and only when selected by the child’s parents. There is a lead-in time for a change like this, so it will happen by September this year.

Are all schools (DEIS and non DEIS) eligible for hot meals from 2025?

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.

If schools are eligible for funding now, will schools always be eligible?

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.

Do I need to apply every year for funding?

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.

Is school meals funding available to all schools?

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.

Do you need a separate bank account for the school meal 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.

Is the funding paid to schools or are suppliers paid directly?

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.

What is covered under the School Meals Scheme?

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.

When and how is the School Meals Scheme paid?

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.

Do we carry out spot checks to make sure the funding is being spent appropriately?

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.

Can families and children opt in or out of the scheme, if so, what happens to funding?

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.

What is the current funding for the provision of school meals?

The current school meals funding options are as follows:

rates per pupil per day:

Once a school is approved to participate, how do schools select suppliers?

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.

Is there a list of approved suppliers or do schools tender for the contract?

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

What measures are taken to ensure that the food served under the scheme is healthy?

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.

What are the responsibilities under Health and Safety?

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is the independent regulator and the central competent authority for the enforcement of food safety legislation. They have prepared consumer advice as a guide for client organisations in understanding their legal responsibilities and provide support in undertaking due diligence checks when procuring the service of a catering contractor over a protracted period. This guidance aims to help client organisations such as schools to avoid inadvertently becoming food business operators and ensure food safety compliance. This advice is available at advice on procuring catering services

For general information, the FSAI may be contacted at Food Safety Authority of Ireland

What are the options for primary school children who have food allergies who want the school meals programme?

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.

Is there a departmental plan to reduce the amount of waste generated as the scheme grows to provide packaged meals for more students?

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.