Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 48: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide schools with guidelines on the types of foods available on school premises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27567/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health and Children has published food and nutrition guidelines for schools. In addition, many of the Health Service Executive areas have health promotion programmes in place to assist schools in this regard.

My Department supports the view that good nutrition is central to a child's educational development. Evidence from existing studies shows that there is a significant positive relationship between improved dietary status and school performance.

A knowledge of what constitutes a nutritionally balanced diet is acknowledged as being of importance for students. To support this, nutrition education is featured in the curriculum in both primary and post-primary schools.

As the Deputy will be aware, schools are privately owned, privately managed institutions which, although funded by the State, enjoy a large degree of autonomy. It is, therefore, primarily a matter for each school to decide on the types of food that are available on the school premises. I am not aware of any impediment that would prevent schools imposing a ban on eating certain foodstuffs, although any special dietary needs of students would have to be taken into account.

I know that many schools have developed healthy eating policies in co-operation with their parents association, and I would encourage others to do so.