Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 444: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if there are regulations or other measures which prohibit food companies from using part of their advertising budget to support individual national schools; if so, the prohibitions that are in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8449/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Private companies are free to promote their business in accordance with accepted marketing practices. There are also accepted marketing standards, such as compliance with advertising regulations which guide, inform and control the relationship between the vendor and the potential customers. My Department recognises the sensitivities attached to the issue of promotion initiatives linking schools, pupils and parents to commercial activity. However, it would be inappropriate to prohibit marketing or sponsorship initiatives, provided that such schemes do not place undue pressure on parents in terms of additional expenditure, that children are protected from engagement in inappropriate promotional activity and that the schemes are linked to desirable projects serving national educational initiatives.

As the Deputy will be aware, under Section 15 of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and is therefore responsible for making decisions as to the types of activities in which the school gets involved. So the decision as to whether to accept sponsorship or partake in promotions is one for the Board of Management to take. Naturally, the Board of Management should only engage in activities that are in the best interests of their students.

My Department has provided guidance to schools about commercialism and the need for schools to strike a balance between the benefit to be gained from positive links with businesses while at the same time protecting children and their parents from inappropriate marketing etc. In this context, my Department's circulars — while entrusting school authorities with deciding which activities to engage in — explicitly require them to ensure that pressure is not placed on parents to buy particular products.