This implies that 150,000 more kids will have access to what are referred to be wholesome hot meals.

While visiting St. Thomas' National School in Lucan, Dublin, Taoiseach Simon Harris, and Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys made the news.

Primary schools that haven't joined the programme yet can do so by expressing interest; those schools will be added in the upcoming months.

Since the program's initial rollout five years ago, the Taoiseach noted there has been a significant increase in demand.

The government has advanced its goal to provide hot meals to every primary student by the year 2025, or in five years.

The statement said, “Ahead of our original target to make Hot School Meals universal in Primary Schools by 2030” from Ms. Humphreys.

Initially launched in 2019 as a modest trial programme involving 30 schools, the Hot School Meals Programme currently serves more than 2,000 primary schools.