Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 402: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her Department's policy regarding vending machines in schools; the public private partnership arrangement presently or recently in place which resulted in the installation of vending machines in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8770/08]

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 also.

In relation schools/colleges provided under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model my Department has to date entered into three separate contracts. The three contracts cover the 5 Pilot PPP Schools, the National Maritime College and the Cork School of Music.

In the contracts agreed for the 5 Pilot Schools while the Operator is responsible for the vending machines the location, content and availability of vending machines were agreed through discussion between the Operator and the School Authorities concerned. The contract stipulate that, if catering and/or vending is provided, the PPP Operator must pay a guaranteed income to the authority regardless of the level of net income received from these services.

The Minister and or the Management Authority of the school can also request the PPP Operator to withdraw products from sale. Where products are withdrawn the contract provides for the level of guaranteed income to be revised. The contract does not, however, require that a level of compensation be paid to the PPP Operator. In the Cork School of Music and in Bundles 1 and 2 the presence of the vending machines and their content is entirely a matter for the school authority.