Hot School Meals Programme: Independent Reviews Find High Satisfaction but Flag Areas for Improvement

Two independent studies into Ireland's Hot School Meals Programme have found generally high standards of food provision and strong overall satisfaction, while identifying areas where the scheme could be improved, including menu consistency, meal acceptance and options for special dietary requirements.

The reports were published on Monday, 21 September 2026 by the Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD. They comprise a Nutrition Review carried out by a CORU-registered dietitian and a large-scale Ipsos Behaviour & Attitudes survey covering 747 schools, 6,884 children, 86,637 parents and guardians, 2,420 teachers and principals, and 47 suppliers.

Announcing the publications, Minister Calleary said:

"Ensuring that children have access to healthy, nutritious food is a key priority for this Government. We are committed to building an education system that works for all children, and the Schools Meals Programme plays an important role in achieving that goal. By providing regular, nutritious meals, we are helping children to fully engage in their education, while at the same time reducing the costs faced by their parents. The State invests €300m each year in School Meals programme. It saves a family with two children in primary school around €1,152 per year. This shows that value of the scheme is not just the educational benefit but also the support it provides to families in reducing their own direct household expenses."

He continued:

"Understandably, as the programme expanded at pace, some concerned parents and others raised questions regarding food quality and waste. On the other hand, previous surveys covering schools already in the programme indicated a high degree of satisfaction overall. While we should never let the perfect get in the way of the good, we should always strive to be the best we can. That is why I was keen to get to the bottom of these different perspectives and understand what we might do better. In particular, I wanted to get an independent assessment of food standards by a qualified dietician to supplement a survey of student, teacher, parent and supplier opinions.

I am pleased to see that the reports indicate a generally high standard of food provision and a high level of overall satisfaction. I am also pleased that they provide an independent and objective view of those areas where we can improve the programme. I will immediately begin to act on those recommendations for improvement."

Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, said:

"The Hot School Meals Programme is one of the most important supports available to children and young people in our education system. Ensuring that pupils have access to a nutritious, balanced meal during the school day not only supports their health and wellbeing, but also enhances learning outcomes, attendance and participation in school life.

I fully support the continued expansion and delivery of the programme and welcome the valuable findings from both the nutritional review and the survey of children, parents and teachers. These insights will help to ensure that the programme continues to meet the needs of students and reflects best practice in nutrition and service delivery."

Nutrition Review findings

The Nutrition Review analysed 360 meals from 15 suppliers and included 54 school visits across Ireland. It found a wide variety of nutritious and well-balanced meals available across the scheme, with 82% of meals analysed found not to contain foods considered high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS). However, the analysis of meal choice data showed that HFSS foods are chosen over healthier options when available on the menu.

Feedback from principals and teachers during school visits was largely positive. Principals rated meals particularly highly on choice, consideration of dietary requirements, quality and nutritional value, while 78% of teachers rated meals as acceptable, good or excellent for nutritional value, and 79% rated meals as acceptable, good or excellent on quality.

The average proportion of uneaten meals was 18.9% across all classes, with less waste seen among younger age groups. Absenteeism contributed significantly to total waste; when accounting for absences, the proportion of uneaten meals fell to 11.1%.

The review found that meals would benefit from increased provision of vegetables, fruit, salad and wholegrain foods, along with improved menu consistency, age-appropriate portion sizes and stronger compliance systems. It makes 18 recommendations in total, including prioritising a standardised three-week menu cycle, adapting menus for special schools, special classes and children with special dietary requirements, issuing clear instructions to suppliers on different meal sizes for different age groups, allowing flexibility to choose a hot or cold lunch on any given day, and developing robust compliance audits of nutrition standards.

Ipsos Behaviour & Attitudes Survey findings

The survey found the programme is now deeply embedded in participating primary schools, with strong reach among children and broad recognition of its benefits. Some 81% of responding parents and guardians said their child avails of the scheme, with most viewing the menu options as healthy or very healthy. Among children, 85% said they liked their meal or found it satisfactory, and 76% said they eat all, most or some of their meal; only 13% said they did not like their lunch.

The survey noted that food waste predates the introduction of school meals, with 48% of parents saying their children brought uneaten food home before the scheme began. It identified improving meal acceptance, rather than meal availability, as the main challenge among children who do not eat all or any of their meal.

Some 28% of children and 84% of parents and guardians said children should have the option of a cold lunch. Among parents with concerns, the most cited issues related to perceptions of processed foods, children's dislike of certain meals, and concerns about fruit and vegetable content. Schools and parents also raised menu choice and provision for children with special dietary requirements as key issues with suppliers.

Background

The Hot School Meals Scheme was introduced in 2019 as a pilot in 37 DEIS primary schools. It has since expanded to provide hot meals to approximately 550,000 primary school children in 3,200 schools during the 2025/26 school year, while the wider School Meals Programme supports approximately 682,000 children. The scheme now provides up to 3.4 million meals each week and is funded by the Department of Social Protection with a budget of €286 million in 2026.

Food standards for the programme were originally set by a technical nutrition group including the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland, the Health Service Executive, Safefood and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Previous reviews in 2020 and March 2023 reported high satisfaction levels and called for the scheme's extension to all primary schools. In 2025, the food content of the programme was changed to exclude foods high in saturated fats and sugars, including the removal of the once-a-week "cheat meal" option.

The full reports are available on the Department of Social Protection website.