Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 857: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will ban the presence of vending machines selling unhealthy sugary snacks and drinks from all schools, including those where facilities are managed under public private partnership arrangements. [14612/07]

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 guidelines around the types of food that is 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.

In the case of the existing five PPP schools while the Operator is responsible for the vending machines the location, content and availability of the machines were agreed between the Operator and the School Authorities concerned. For instance, timers are fitted to all of the vending machines to ensure that students only have access to the machines at the times agreed by the school management. Under my Department's current PPP programme announced in 2005 the school management authorities will have final say in the location, content and availability of any vending machines being provided.