Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 480: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the extent of marketing of unhealthy foods to children in schools as described in a recent report (details supplied); if her attention has further been drawn to the increasing levels of obesity in Irish children; her views regarding the risk of future health problems arising from childhood obesity; the action she intends to take to curb the advertising of unhealthy foods to children in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36874/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Our schools promote, support and encourage healthy eating and physical exercise in a range of ways.

With regard to educating students about making good food choices, a curriculum in social, personal, and health education, SPHE, is mandatory for all primary students and its implementation is also being assisted by a full-time support service. Health and well-being, with food and nutrition, are two areas dealt with under the Taking Care of My Body unit of that curriculum. The objective is that by fifth and sixth class, pupils should be enabled to realise that they, as individuals, have some responsibility for adopting a healthy balanced diet and for taking regular and appropriate exercise.

All second level schools have been required to provide SPHE as part of the junior cycle curriculum since September 2003. The aims of this programme include preparing students for responsible decision-making and promoting their physical, mental and emotional health and well-being.

Physical education is also part of the curriculum at primary and post-primary level and plays a key role not just in giving students an opportunity to exercise during the school day but also in encouraging a positive attitude towards physical activity which students will, I hope, carry with them into adult life.

Quite apart from curricular provision, schools can implement measures to encourage physical activity during school breaks. Schools already play a major role in promoting the involvement of students in sporting activities in the wider community. Sports organisations such as the Gaelic Athletic Association, Basketball Ireland and the Football Association of Ireland, FAI, provide extensive opportunities for schools to participate in sport.

Together, the above initiatives ensure children not only get opportunities to exercise at school but also learn about balanced nutrition and making good food choices. Schools are playing their part in terms of promoting a healthy diet and adequate physical exercise for children. However, it is important to remember that children spend just 20% of their waking hours at school. Therefore, schools can only do so much with regard to promoting exercise and healthy eating and the main role must rest with parents.

With regard to the advertising of unhealthy foods to children in schools, the position is that 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 the board of management of individual schools 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 students. 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.