| Ref No | Member | Question | Tabled | Status |
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AQW 36214/22-27
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Ms Cara Hunter
(SDLP - East Londonderry)
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To ask the Minister of Education whether, before concluding that significant capital expenditure would be required for universal Free School Meals, his Department assessed options such as staggered lunch sittings, which allow full cohorts to be served without additional dining hall construction, as is common in other jurisdictions.
+ Display Answer
| 25/11/2025 |
Answered on 05/12/2025
|
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AQW 36100/22-27
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Mr Jon Burrows
(UUP - North Antrim)
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To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the average length of time between applying for free school meals and being placed on the register in the last 12 months; and (ii) why parents are not refunded the cost of meals incurred during the intervening period when their application for free school meals is subsequently approved.
+ Display Answer
| 21/11/2025 |
Answered on 02/12/2025
|
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AQW 35226/22-27
|
Mr Daniel McCrossan
(SDLP - West Tyrone)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any additional estimated (i) cost; and (ii) capacity, implications for introducing Free School Meals to all children.
+ Display Answer
| 11/11/2025 |
Answered on 21/11/2025
|
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AQW 35129/22-27
|
Mrs Michelle Guy
(APNI - Lagan Valley)
|
To ask the Minister of Education for his assessment of any impact that price increases to school meals will have on children who are just outside the threshold for free school meals.
+ Display Answer
| 10/11/2025 |
Answered on 21/11/2025
|
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AQW 35007/22-27
|
Mr Mark Durkan
(SDLP - Foyle)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any engagement his Department is undertaking with (i) schools; (ii) parents; and (iii) community organisations, to encourage greater uptake of Free School Meals and the Uniform Grant for eligible families.
+ Display Answer
| 07/11/2025 |
Answered on 17/11/2025
|
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AQW 35004/22-27
|
Mr Mark Durkan
(SDLP - Foyle)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the estimated number of children who are eligible for (i) Free School Meals; and (ii) the Uniform Grant, but are not currently claiming them, in each of the last three years.
+ Display Answer
| 07/11/2025 |
Answered on 18/11/2025
|
|
AQW 34988/22-27
|
Ms Cara Hunter
(SDLP - East Londonderry)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any assessment that has been made of the impact that increasing the price of school meals from January 2026 will have on (i) children’s health; (ii) nutrition; and (iii) learning outcomes, particularly for struggling families who do not qualify for Free School Meals.
+ Display Answer
| 07/11/2025 |
Answered on 21/11/2025
|
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AQW 34865/22-27
|
Ms Diane Forsythe
(DUP - South Down)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the cost to the Education Authority of providing free school meals to children, in each of the last three years.
+ Display Answer
| 06/11/2025 |
Answered on 18/11/2025
|
|
AQW 33256/22-27
|
Mr Danny Baker
(SF - West Belfast)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of pupils who are no longer eligible for free school meals, as a result of the move to Universal Credit.
+ Display Answer
| 10/10/2025 |
Answered on 22/10/2025
|
|
AQW 33145/22-27
|
Mr Jon Burrows
(UUP - North Antrim)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any provisions put in place on Friday 3 October 2025, when some schools closed early, to ensure that pupils who usually access free school meals were still able to access their meals.
+ Display Answer
| 08/10/2025 |
Answered on 16/10/2025
|
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AQW 31448/22-27
|
Mr Mark Durkan
(SDLP - Foyle)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of applications for (i) free school meals; and (ii) the school uniform grant, which have been (a) delayed; and (b) deemed unsuccessful due to families being homeless and residing in emergency accommodation, in each of the last three years, broken down by local council area.
+ Display Answer
| 17/09/2025 |
Answered on 01/10/2025
|
|
AQW 31446/22-27
|
Mr Mark Durkan
(SDLP - Foyle)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps being taken, in conjunction with the Minister of Education, to ensure that homeless families without a permanent address can still access free school meals and the uniform grant.
+ Display Answer
| 17/09/2025 |
Answered on 01/10/2025
|
|
AQW 31445/22-27
|
Mr Mark Durkan
(SDLP - Foyle)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps being taken, in conjunction with the Minister for Communities, to ensure that homeless families without a permanent address can still access free school meals and the uniform grant.
+ Display Answer
| 17/09/2025 |
Answered on 01/10/2025
|
|
AQW 29796/22-27
|
Mrs Michelle Guy
(APNI - Lagan Valley)
|
To ask the Minister of Education when he intends to make a policy decision following consultation on the Review of Free School Meals and Uniform Grant Eligibility Criteria.
+ Display Answer
| 02/07/2025 |
Answered on 10/07/2025
|
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AQO 2150/22-27
|
Mr David Honeyford
(APNI - Lagan Valley)
|
To ask the Minister of Education for an update on the Review of Free School Meals and Uniform Grant Eligibility Criteria.
+ Display Answer
| 05/06/2025 |
Answered on 16/06/2025
|
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AQW 28702/22-27
|
Mr Daniel McCrossan
(SDLP - West Tyrone)
|
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 28262/22-27, to detail any plans he has to extend the number of pupils eligible for free school meals, as has been done in England.
+ Display Answer
| 13/06/2025 |
Answered on 20/06/2025
|
|
AQW 28632/22-27
|
Ms Cara Hunter
(SDLP - East Londonderry)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) any assessment his Department has made of the Barnett consequentials expected from the rollout of expanded Free School Meals in England; and (ii) whether this funding would be sufficient to cover the estimated £22 million annual cost of extending the same entitlement to pupils in Northern Ireland.
+ Display Answer
| 12/06/2025 |
Answered on 20/06/2025
|
|
AQW 28524/22-27
|
Mr Justin McNulty
(SDLP - Newry and Armagh)
|
To ask the Minister of Education for his assessment of the benefits of introducing free school meals on a universal basis.
+ Display Answer
| 10/06/2025 |
Answered on 20/06/2025
|
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AQW 27981/22-27
|
Mr Pádraig Delargy
(SF - Foyle)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to outline his Department’s annual spend on public awareness campaigns to promote how families can apply for: (i) school uniform grants; and (ii) free school meals.
+ Display Answer
| 02/06/2025 |
Answered on 05/06/2025
|
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AQW 26592/22-27
|
Mr Danny Baker
(SF - West Belfast)
|
To ask the Minister of Education to outline the formula used by his Department to calculate the projected cost of free school meals for a financial year.
[Priority Written]
+ Display Answer
| 06/05/2025 |
Answered on 12/05/2025
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