Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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734. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is any monitoring process in place to ensure that schools engage in providing health foods; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23725/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The main programme for food provision in primary and post primary schools is the School Meals Scheme. The operation of that scheme is an issue for the Minister for Social Protection. My Department's main responsibility in this area is to equip students with the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed and healthier choices in a range of areas, including nutrition. This is addressed in schools through subjects such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), and Home Economics as well as in PE.

My Department collates data from schools on a range of issues relating to healthy eating and physical activity through the 'Lifeskills' survey of all primary and post primary schools. This survey first issued in 2009 and was repeated in 2012. The findings from the 2012 survey were published by my Department last year and are available on www.education.ie. The 2015 Lifeskills survey is currently being completed by primary and post primary schools. It is my intention to publish the results of this survey before the end of 2015. This will provide a benchmark for schools' performance in this area since 2009 and 2012.

One of the specific issues addressed through the Lifeskills survey is whether schools have a healthy eating policy in place. The data from schools indicated that almost all primary schools and the majority of post primary schools have a healthy eating policy in place or are in the process of developing one.

The survey also asks schools whether there is a facility on site, such as a vending machine or school shop, for selling less healthy foods. The data from the 2012 survey indicated that approximately 30% of post primary schools had a vending machine that contained less healthy alternatives. There were no such facilities reported in respondent primary schools. In response to such findings, my Department has finalised guidance for schools about how to further promote healthy lifestyles. This encompasses measures to promote healthy eating, healthy vending, as well as the promotion of P.E. and Physical Activity. The guidance has been drafted in consultation with the Department of Health and the HSE. It will issue in September 2015, to post primary schools initially. The issue of this guidance will coincide with the publication by the Department of Health of updated guidelines for post primary schools on the development of healthy eating policies.