384. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the immediate solution that can be put in place for a school (details supplied) in order that the pupils can receive the same hot meals as children in other schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66437/26]

385. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance that can be provided to a school (details supplied) in a rural Gaeltacht area that is unable to access the hot school meals programme because it has been unable to secure a catering provider; and the measures available to ensure that small rural and Gaeltacht schools are not excluded from the programme due to difficulties securing a provider. [66442/26]

386. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection about the provision of hot school meals and the difficulties facing small rural and Gaeltacht schools in securing a catering provider (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66443/26]

393. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a solution to a problem (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66643/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 384, 385, 386 and 393 together.

My Department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school and it is the responsibility of each school board to administer the Scheme in their school, including handling the procurement process. Schools are supported by the Department of Education’s Schools Procurement Unit, which provides guidance and standardised procurement documentation to ensure a consistent, safe and compliant process.

The Schools Procurement Unit under the Department of Education and Youth, provides guidance to schools for all procurements including the School Meals Scheme.

The updated School Meals procurement template documentation, introduced in 2025, strengthens the programme by ensuring consistent standards across all participating schools. This ensures children benefit from a reliable, high-quality service, while schools are protected from having to take on responsibilities more appropriate to the providers, who will have the necessary expertise and experience in food provision. If a school wishes to administer the programme on site, they will take on all the responsibilities in relation to food safety legislation, planning, building regulations, and health and safety requirements. Funding under this programme is solely for food items and cannot be used for any other purposes i.e. electricity, waste disposal, equipment or costs incurred in the setup of the relevant requirements.

While Scoil Fheirtéaraigh engaged informally with potential providers, it did not complete the full formal procurement process including advertising the cold lunch option. For contracts over €50,000, schools are required to publish a request for tender on eTenders to formally test the market and identify all potential suppliers. Previous assumptions about supplier availability do not remove this obligation. Schools should engage with the Schools Procurement Unit, which is available to provide guidance and support throughout the process.

My Department is actively supporting this school and is currently engaging with a local meals-on-wheels provider to explore a solution. Officials will continue working with the school and local providers to help secure a suitable service and ensure children can benefit from the programme.