DUBLIN — Thousands of children will be left without a hot lunch as changes to the government’s school meals program have caused suppliers to withdraw their services from hundreds of small schools. The new procurement criteria, which suppliers say make the service financially unviable, have led to a significant disruption just as the school year begins.
The Impact on Children
Over 2,000 children are thought to be affected by the changes, with at least four suppliers pulling out of the scheme. The largest provider, The Lunch Bag, has notified 82 small schools that it can no longer supply them, impacting approximately 1,640 children. Another company has reportedly stopped providing meals to over 600 children. The hot meals scheme was intended to be rolled out to all 3,000-plus primary schools in the country this year.
New Rules and Financial Viability
The core of the issue stems from a new directive issued on August 15 by the Departments of Education, Social Protection, and Health. The new rule prohibits any school staff member or student from assisting with the distribution of meals unless they are directly employed by an approved supplier. This is to ensure that schools do not become “food business operators” and are not responsible for food safety.
According to The Lunch Bag CEO Ray Nangle, the current funding rate of €3.20 per pupil makes it impossible to continue serving small schools without significant losses. He explains that for a school with 20 pupils, the daily funding is only €64. Without the option for school staff to volunteer to heat meals, the cost of hiring a separate employee to do so makes the service unviable. Nangle emphasized that the problem can only be solved through consultation with the companies providing the lunches.
Government and Political Reaction
The Department of Social Protection stated that the recent changes were made to ensure consistent standards and that “schools and providers operate safely and compliantly across areas such as food safety, health and safety, fire safety, and building regulations.” They acknowledged that delivering meals to smaller or more remote schools can be challenging, but stressed that the priority is ensuring the food is safe and nutritious.
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney highlighted the impact in his constituency, where 10 rural schools and nearly 300 pupils are affected. He also noted that he is aware of 19 schools across Clare, Galway, and Kerry where The Lunch Bag has ceased its service.
