Parliamentary Committee Recommends Limiting School Drinks to Milk and Water, Increasing Organic and Irish Foods

Dublin: Children participating in Ireland’s school meals programme may soon be restricted to drinking only milk and water, following new recommendations from the Oireachtas Education Committee. The committee also proposed increasing the proportion of organic and Irish-produced foods in the scheme.

Committee chair Cathal Crowe, who is also a farmer, confirmed that these recommendations will be formally submitted to the Minister for Social Protection. The €300 million Hot School Meals Scheme currently supports around 550,000 children and is overseen by an interdepartmental working group comprising officials from the Departments of Social Protection, Education, Health, and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The suggestion to restrict beverages came after Fianna Fáil TD John Connolly raised concerns flagged by school-visiting dentists, who advised limiting children’s drinks to milk or water for dental health reasons. Connolly also asked whether the programme could be expanded to supply these drinks to all children, reducing the number of pupils bringing sugary juices and smoothies to school.

Sinn Féin TD Shonagh Ní Raghallaigh further proposed using the publicly funded scheme to promote Irish products. Currently, only 10% of the food provided is organic, prompting committee members—including Crowe—to call for a higher proportion of organic and locally produced ingredients.

Dietitian Fiona Ward, part of the working group, emphasised that water is the healthiest drink for children and recommended limiting fruit juice to a single 150ml serving per day. She also noted that Irish children consume fewer fruits and vegetables than recommended, highlighting the importance of improving nutritional standards within the programme.

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