Giving every child in ­Ireland a tasty and ­nutritious lunch at school is one of those ideas that sounds good on paper. As the party that launched the current pilot scheme in schools in 2019, Fine Gael has long been keen on extending its reach. Now it is set to unveil the results of a national survey after consulting more than 8,000 parents, teachers and suppliers. Among the problems raised was the nutritional quality of the meals offered to primary school pupils and the huge amount of waste generated. Providing additional options to satisfy pupils’ differing dietary requirements will only add to the logistical burden, never mind the overheads.

Source: Irish Independent March 15, 2026 07:03 UTC