Some primary schools with a small number of pupils won’t receive hot school meals as planned next week due to issues related to food safety and viability concerns.
Under the School Meals Scheme, which is funded by the Department of Social Protection, all primary schools are eligible for hot meals. However, some schools cannot avail of the meals due to procurement issues.
Separately, a number of small schools were this week informed by a service provider that they would not receive their meals due to a disagreement over food safety compliance.
The Department of Social protection confirmed that a provider notified it on Wednesday evening “of its intention to withdraw from providing Hot School Meals to a number of small schools, citing inability to comply with Food Safety Authority of Ireland rules and viability concerns regarding the rate of payment for the meals”.
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Church Street National School in Rathkeale, Co Limerick, is among those affected. Principal Niall West said the school and parents have been “left in limbo” by the development.
“The timing of it is very difficult, you know, right at the start of the school year,” he said.
Mr West said their meal supplier told him on Thursday they would not be providing the service as planned because one of their employees would have to heat up the meals on the school premises.
“In the past a member of [school] staff had been putting them in the oven, but that’s not allowed any more,” Mr West said.
Church Street NS is a Deis school with only 15 pupils. Mr West said it is “not financially viable” for the provider to ensure one of their employees is available to heat up meals in such a small school.
A spokesman for the department said the hot meals scheme is designed so the “responsibility for food safety and compliance” is placed on professional food providers and “not on the schools themselves”.
“This ensures children benefit from a reliable, high-quality service, while schools are protected from having to take on responsibilities more appropriate to the providers, who will have the necessary expertise and experience in food provision,” a statement noted.
The spokesman said the “recent refinements to the procurement system” ensure “consistent standards across all participating schools”.
“While it is recognised that delivering meals to smaller or more remote schools may present challenges, the shared priority of all partners in the programme must be that every child benefits from a service where the primary consideration is that the food they eat is safe, nutritious, and supportive of their learning.”
Mr West said he is in talks with the department in a bid to solve the issue and find an alternative provider.
The department’s spokesman said the Government “remains committed to working with schools, families, and providers to ensure the continued success of the Hot School Meals Programme and to constructively engage on issues that arise, without compromising the core objectives of the programme”.
The Irish Times has contacted the supplier in question for comment.
