Over 350 schools across the country will mark World School Milk Day on Wednesday 24 September 2025 in conjunction with the National Dairy Council (NDC).

Pupils nationwide will take part in a live webinar on the day hosted by presenter John Sharpson and TV chef Aisling Larkin that will include an interactive cookery demonstration.

NDC CEO Emma Walls said research carried out by the dairy body in 2023 found that just 4% of Irish teenagers are meeting their recommended daily servings of dairy, while 51% are deficient in calcium.

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“It’s deeply concerning that we are seeing this deficit among teenagers, especially as they reach a key stage for bone growth and development.

“At the NDC, our aim is to communicate the importance of consuming good-quality dairy products and how looking after our bone health in early life can have a positive impact later in life,” she added.

School milk scheme

Alongside the Department of Agriculture, the NDC runs the EU school milk scheme in Ireland, which helps ensure schoolchildren meet the Department of Health’s recommended daily servings of dairy, as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

The scheme, available at both primary and secondary level, has operated in Ireland since 1982. It provides a daily supply of milk at discounted rates to participating schools to allocate to pupils.

Its purpose is to reconnect children with agriculture and to teach healthy eating habits for life. Since 2017, the scheme has been operated by the NDC.

“Not only does the school milk scheme provide one of the much-needed portions of dairy per day, it also offers essential nutrition education and information through accompanying measures and, together, these have the potential to create life-long healthy eating and lifestyle habits,” Walls said.