11 additional Limerick schools to receive hot lunches from September
345,000 primary school students nationwide now have access to Hot School Meals
STUDENTS from 11 Limerick primary schools are to receive hot school meals from September in a new phase of the nationwide roll-out.
The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, announced today that 168 additional primary schools across the country have been approved for the Hot School Meals Programme.
The announcement means almost 2,200 primary schools are now eligible to receive Hot School Meals, with schools in every county benefitting from the scheme.
An additional 29,000 children will now have access to nutritious hot meals for the new school year starting from this September. This brings the total number of primary school children now eligible to receive a Hot School Meal every day to 345,000.
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.
“My ambition now is to finish the job as part of this year’s Budget and ensure that every primary school in Ireland is providing hot school meals in 2025.
“I firmly believe the roll-out of hot school meals to every primary school in the country will be one of the lasting legacies of this Government.”
Minister for Further and Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan said, “I am delighted to make this announcement following confirmation from my Government colleague Minister Heather Humphrey”.
“I want more schools across Limerick to have the programme extended to them as soon as possible and I will continue to work with Minister Humphreys, to make this happen,” he added.
The Department of Social Protection will now write to each of the 168 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 School Meals from September 2024.