168 more primary schools in Ireland have been granted approval for the program, meaning that starting in September 2024, an extra 29,000 primary students will be receiving Hot School Meals, reports The Mirror.
The Hot School Meals Program began as a modest pilot program in 2019 with 30 schools, and it has since expanded to include many more schools.
Today, Heather Humphreys TD, the Minister for Social Protection, said that 29,000 more kids in 168 schools would have access to wholesome hot meals for the upcoming academic year, which will begin in September.
With over 2,200 elementary schools, this raises the total number of students eligible to receive a Hot School Meal each day to 345,000, reports The Mirror.
The School Meals Program’s goal is to give kids access to consistent, wholesome nourishment so they may maximise their educational opportunities.
Funding for the School Meals Program is provided to schools by the Department of Social Protection, and schools are responsible for selecting their supplier in compliance with national laws and EU procurement rules in an open, equitable, and transparent way, reports The Mirror.
This year, the department has made contact with every primary school that is still not a member of the Hot School Meals program, requesting that they submit an expression of interest in starting to provide Hot School Meals. After reviewing the replies, more schools could be included in Budget 2025, depending on budget availability.
Announcing the expansion today, Minister Humphreys said: “Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have grown the Hot School Meals Programme from a small pilot of just 30 schools to a nationwide programme which now provides nutritious hot meals in 2,200 primary schools across the country,” reports The Mirror.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
