Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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152. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to extend the new nutrition standards under the school meals local projects scheme to other non-funded schools; the steps he will take to seek compliance with these standards by other schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42106/17]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new Nutrition Standards for School Meals are available on the Department of Health and Healthy Ireland websites. They are also available as a link on the Department of Education and Skills and Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection websites.

My Department will be liaising with the Department of Education and Skills in relation to opportunities to extend the use of the Standards in schools outside the School Meals Local Projects Scheme.

The Nutrition Standards are available for use as guidelines for schools healthy eating policies in both primary and post primary schools and are being brought to the attention of schools by the Healthy Eating and Active Living programme in the Health Service Executive, through their schools teams.

Compliance with the Standards only applies to schools funded under the school meals local projects scheme and this monitoring is being carried out by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. A Service Level Agreement which included reference to compliance with the new Standards was sent to relevant schools participating in the Scheme last week by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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153. To ask the Minister for Health the foodstuffs and beverages covered and reimbursable under the new nutrition standards under the school meals local projects scheme; if there is documentation and guidance being provided to schools additional to the standards themselves to provide clarity on the foodstuffs and beverages that will be reimbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42107/17]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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The foodstuffs and beverages covered and reimbursable under the new Nutrition Standards for the School Meals Local Projects Scheme is provided in detail in the Standards Report. These are nutritious foods and drinks from the four bottom shelves of the Food Pyramid and are influenced by the funding allocation available depending on the meals- breakfast, snack, lunch or mid afternoon snack or dinner allocation.

Standards for that apply to all meals and snacks are also given for foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt; for fats, spreads and oils and for drinks. These provide clarity on the foodstuffs and beverages that will be reimbursed under the Scheme. These Standards are comprehensive, therefore additional documentation and guidance is not being provided.