Thousands of children will be left without a hot lunch from today
Ray Nangle, CEO of Nenagh-based primary school lunch provider The Lunch Bag, said the issue can only be solved by consultation with companies providing school lunches. Picture: Patrick Browne
More than 2,000 children are understood to be affected after a number of suppliers withdrew from the scheme in recent days because of changes to the procurement criteria.
Tipperary-based The Lunch Bag is the largest provider of the scheme. It has notified 82 small schools that it can no longer supply them. With an average roll of 20 pupils per school, approximately 1,640 children are affected. While The Lunch Bag was the first provider to withdraw from the scheme, it is understood that at least three others have also told other schools that they are also withdrawing. One of those companies provided to more than 600 children.
The hot meals scheme was to be rolled out to all 3,000-plus primary schools in the country on a phased basis this year. However, changes to the procurement system unveiled in August have led suppliers to many small schools across the country to pull out. Under the scheme, €3.20 per pupil is paid to service providers.
A statement from The Lunch Bag said: “On August 15, a new directive issued jointly under the departments of education, social protection, and health outlined that no school staff member or student may assist in any capacity with the distribution of meals — unless they are directly employed by an approved school meals supplier.
"This change is designed to ensure that schools do not become de facto ‘food business operators’ and carry associated responsibilities for food safety.”
It said that the €3.20 per pupil rate makes the scheme unviable for small schools, adding: “At a funding rate of €3.20, this equates to €64 per day to deliver high-quality food that must also meet strict requirements, including heating, safe transport, temperature controls, etc.
“In the past, the only way to make service viable in these schools was when a member of school staff volunteered to assist in heating meals after delivery. With this no longer permitted, the cost of employing a minimum-wage staff member in each school daily makes it impossible to continue operating in these smaller schools without incurring significant losses.”
The company’s chief executive, Ray Nangle, told the Irish Examiner the only way the issue can be resolved is by consultation with the companies providing school lunches through the scheme.
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney says 10 rural schools — involving almost 300 pupils — are affected in his constituency after The Lunch Bag’s decision. He added that he is aware of 19 schools in Clare, Galway, and Kerry where it can no longer provide the service.
The Department of Social Protection said the recent changes to the system 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”.
It said the department was informed on Thursday by a number of schools that they had received an email from one supplier, advising them of their decision to withdraw its services.
“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.”
