Hot school meals programme to expand with 'holiday meals' service from next year

A STATE-FUNDED “holiday meals” service will be introduced from next year following a trial aimed at providing food to children when schools are closed.

John McKeon, secretary general of the Department of Social Protection, announced the expansion in his opening statement to the Public Accounts Committee this morning.

Officials from the Departments of Social Protection and Education are currently appearing before the committee as it examines a Comptroller and Auditor General report on the procurement of hot school meals.

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The precise reach and cost of the holiday service were not detailed in McKeon’s statement.

However, a pilot operated through the Summer Programme in 2025 provided school meals to more than 42,000 vulnerable children across over 500 schools.

A separate €500,000 pilot provided meals to more than 3,200 vulnerable and disadvantaged young people through 41 youth services during the summer months.

McKeon told the committee that the school meals programme now provides approximately three million hot meals each week to about 500,000 children.

Spending on the wider programme reached approximately €230 million last year, while €286 million has been allocated for 2026.

“We do know that the provision of a meal at school is, for some children, the only meal that they will get that day,” McKeon said.

The PAC hearing follows a C&AG report published in September which identified significant weaknesses in the financial oversight and procurement of hot school meals.

It found that 1,116 primary schools applied for funding for pupil numbers exceeding their official enrolment figures for the 2025/26 school year.

The additional 7,257 pupils listed on those applications resulted in almost €4.2 million being allocated, although the report acknowledged that some schools may have experienced increases in enrolment.

Almost €34 million in surplus school meals funding was also carried into the 2025/26 school year. The Department has stressed that surplus funding held by schools is deducted from their allocations for the following year.

The Department is now considering moving away from funding schools on the assumption that every eligible pupil receives a meal every day.

Its briefing material states that a revised model could see schools initially receive 95% of their hot school meals funding from September 2027, with additional money available where required.

The C&AG also found that the Department had limited information on the quantity and quality of food being delivered, the number of excess meals or how much food was left uneaten.

A nutrition review commissioned by the Department found that an average of 18.9% of meals were left uneaten. When absences were taken into account, this fell to 11.1%.

The review found that 82% of the meals examined did not contain foods considered high in fat, salt or sugar.

However, parents raised concerns about processed food and the availability of fruit and vegetables, while 84% said children should have the option of choosing a cold lunch.

The Department said it plans to introduce standardised menus and different meal sizes for different age groups, while schools will be required to offer greater flexibility between hot and cold lunches from September 2027.

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