Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will confirm, in respect of schools operating under the public private partnership model, if it is the case that school principals and boards of management do not have discretion or autonomy regarding the sale of items from vending machines in their schools; if she will make arrangements whereby such decisions can be made at school level, where deemed desirable for both the health of students and the maintenance of a positive learning environment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4651/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has to date entered into three separate contracts for the design, build, finance, maintain and operate of school/college accommodation under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The three projects are the 5 Pilot PPP Schools, the National Maritime College and the Cork School of Music. In the contract agreed for the 5 Pilot Schools and the National Maritime College while the PPP Operator has exclusive right to operate the catering and vending at each school, in the case of vending sales the Minister and or the management authority of the school or college can request the PPP Operator to withdraw products from sale. The contract further provides that products may be withdrawn because of a change in law or as a result of developments in medical research where it becomes illegal or undesirable to sell such products to children. In the Cork School of Music and in all future PPP contracts the presence of the vending machines and their content is entirely a matter for the school authority.