Education Minister Helen McEntee has announced that Department of Health officials will conduct a review of the nutritional quality of hot school meals provided through the government’s school meals programme.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, McEntee acknowledged the need for improvement in the programme while highlighting its positive impact. “Already, the benefits that we’re seeing are absolutely phenomenal – we have children coming to school who are able to learn who weren’t able to before,” she stated.
The Hot School Meals scheme, introduced in 2019 with 30 pilot schools, has expanded significantly to nearly 2,200 schools nationwide, serving approximately 345,000 primary school children. All DEIS primary schools are now eligible for hot meals, with plans to extend the programme to all primary schools by 2030.
Despite its growth, the programme has faced criticism from teachers and health professionals regarding the nutritional content of meals, ingredients sourcing, and waste production. The former HSE national clinical lead for obesity previously expressed concerns about schools’ ability to order ultra-processed foods.
According to The Journal, current guidelines developed by a technical working group specify that processed meat products, fried foods, and foods cooked in batter or breadcrumbs should be limited to “once a week maximum, if at all.” The guidelines also recommend offering healthier alternatives when such foods are served.
McEntee emphasized the importance of optimizing the programme: “We need to make sure it’s the best it can be.”
Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary is expected to formally announce the review today.