Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Youth, Darren O'Rourke TD, has urged the Government to strengthen school meal reforms expected at Cabinet, arguing that minor tweaks will not resolve core failures.

He said the overhaul must raise nutritional standards, cut waste, and interrogate whether a profit-driven system is delivering for children and taxpayers.

Teachta O'Rourke said: "Media reports of the reviews confirm what parents, teachers and children have been telling us for some time. Roughly 100,000 hot meals a day are going uneaten. A Government-appointed nutritionist found that high fat, salt and sugar foods are being chosen over healthier options. Portion sizes are the same for a four-year-old and a twelve-year-old. These are not minor teething problems – they are systemic failures in how this €300 million scheme is designed and delivered.

"The recommendation to introduce standardised menus, age-appropriate portion sizes, options for children with special dietary requirements, and a choice between hot and cold lunches are all sensible steps, but they must be implemented swiftly, not left to gather dust. "Above all, we need to ask hard questions about the for-profit model that has been allowed to dominate this scheme. How much of the €3.20 per meal actually ends up on the child's plate? How much is absorbed by intermediaries, overheads and profit margins? Parents deserve transparency, and children deserve better.

"Sinn Féin is calling for a pilot of a not-for-profit, community-led model of school meal provision – one built on short supply chains, local producers, and a genuine connection between children and the food they eat. We should be supporting local food economies, not funnelling public money into a model where quality is squeezed to protect margins.

"The school meal programme is really important. That makes it all the more important that we get it right. Every euro spent must deliver a nutritious, appealing meal that children actually want to eat.

"Tinkering at the edges will not do. We need fundamental reform on quality, waste and the for-profit business model.

"Sinn Féin will engage constructively with the Government's proposals, but we will also hold them to account. Our children's health and our public money demand nothing less."