Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason her Department has not provided schools with guidelines on the types of foods that are available on school premises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32700/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Schools are 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 devise policies around the types of food that are available on the school premises and such policies should be driven by the needs and welfare of the pupils. I know that many schools have developed healthy eating policies in co-operation with their parents' associations and I would encourage others to do so.