RIP Laura Buckley Noonan
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07 Sept 2025
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07 Sept 2025
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Norma Foley TD and Fianna Fáil TD Deputy Niamh Smyth
Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth has said six additional primary schools in Cavan and five in Monaghan have been approved for the Hot School Meals Programme.
The Hot School Meals Programme was introduced in 2019, and was first piloted with 30 schools.
The further rollout of the Government’s Hot School Meals Programme will see an additional 29,000 children across 168 schools have access to nutritious hot meals for the new school year starting from this September.
The six approved additional schools in Cavan are: St Mary’s NS, Castletara NS, SN Corr Lorgan, SN Greach Rathain, Bailieboro Model NS, and SN Drom Cnamh.
The five in Monaghan are: Latnamard NS, St Joseph’s NS, The Billis National School, Killeevan Central NS and Scoil Mhuire.
This brings the total number of primary school children now eligible to receive a Hot School Meal every day to 345,000.
Welcoming the expansion of this scheme Deputy Smyth said: “I’m heartened to see the extension of this hugely important initiative which is designed to ensure that every child has access to regular, nutritious meals, enabling them to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.
"The expansion of the Hot School Meals programme has been a priority for Fianna Fáil in Government and its expansion has been supported by the Department of Education under my Fianna Fáil colleague, Minister for Education Norma Foley.
"No child should have to learn on an empty stomach. The expansion of this programme to these additional schools is a vital step in making sure that all our children have access to a hot meal.
"The Department of Social Protection provides the funding to schools for the School Meals Programme, and it is the responsibility of schools to choose their supplier in an open, fair and transparent manner.
"I understand that the Department will now write to each of the 11 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.''
As of April 2024, there are 12 primary schools in Leitrim that are approved for the Hot School Meals Programme.
These schools include Aughawillian NS, Gaelscoil Chluainín, Gaelscoil Liatroma, Glebe NS, Leitrim Mxd NS, Mastersons NS, Naomh Cailin, Newtowngore NS, SN Naomh Brighid, SN Naomh Mhuire, Leckaun NS and St Clare’s NS.
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