Eighteen Offaly schools approved for Hot School Meals Programme

Eighteen schools in Offaly have been approved for the Hot School Meals Programme.

The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, has today announced that 900 primary schools were approved for the programme.

Today’s announcement means an additional 150,000 children will benefit from nutritious hot meals next year.

The Offaly schools are:

Ballykilmurry NS, Charleville NS, Clonbullogue NS, Cloneyhurke NS, Edenderry Convent NS, Gaelscoil Na Laochra, High St Mixed NS, Scoil Cronain Naofa, Lumcloon National School, Tobar National School, Scoil Mhuire, Tullamore, Scoil Mhuire Banrioghan (Dunkerrin National School), Durrow National School, Scoil Naisiunta Roscomroe, Scoil Naomh Seosamh in Tullamore, Scoil Bhríde Primary School in Edenderry, St Colman's National ​School and Killeigh National School.

Welcoming the news Minister Pippa Hackett said:

“From April of next year, a further 18 primary schools across county Offaly will be invited into the expanded Hot School Meals Programme. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children so that they can fully participate in school and I am delighted that Government approved the extension to the scheme this week.

"The schools meal scheme is relatively new, commencing in 2019 and I appreciate the role that principals, teachers and the wider school community have played and will continue to play in facilitating this additional provision within schools. The 18 Offaly schools invited to join the scheme from April 2024, have previously expressed an interest in the scheme. I thank them for their willingness to participate for the wellbeing of their students and wish them well.”

Announcing details of the 900 schools, Minister Humphreys said:

“I am delighted to announce today that an additional 900 primary schools have been approved for the Hot School Meals Programme.

“When I was appointed Minister for Social Protection in June 2020, there were 30 schools receiving Hot Meals. Today’s announcement means that from April next year there will be over 1,400 primary schools benefitting from Hot School Meals.

“As Minister, I am absolutely determined to continue to expand the Hot School Meals Programme to every Primary School in Ireland.

“My ambition is that a child born in Ireland today will be guaranteed access to a Hot Meal by the time they start school. The major expansion I am announcing today means we are now well on course to achieve that objective.”

The Hot School Meals Programme was introduced in 2019 as a small pilot of 30 schools.

Minister Humphreys has grown the programme significantly in recent years and all DEIS Primary Schools are now eligible to receive a Hot Meal.

Earlier this year, Minister Humphreys signalled her intention to roll out the Hot School Meals Programme to all Primary Schools. As part of this significant expansion plan, all remaining primary schools were contacted and requested to submit an expression of interest form if their school was interested in commencing the provision of hot school meals.

Expressions of interests were received from over 900 Primary Schools in respect of 150,000 children.

The Department of Social Protection provides the funding to schools for the School Meals Programme and it is the responsibility of schools to choose their supplier in an open, fair and transparent manner in accordance with national legislation and EU directives on procurement.

The Department of Social Protection will now write to each of these schools to advise them on the next steps in this regard to allow schools time to prepare so that their pupils will be able to avail of hot meals from April 2024.