Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that the providers of school lunches ensure that the packaging for the food is as environmentally friendly as possible with the minimum use of plastics or the eradication of the use of plastics if possible. [38315/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. It is therefore a matter for each school to devise guidelines around the variants of food that are available on the school premises, including where appropriate in the school canteen.

The School Meals Programme is operated by my colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and provides funding towards the provision of food to some 4,580 schools and organisations. All aspects of the operation of the school meals projects, including the choice of the school meals supplier, are the responsibility of the school board of management.

Schools at primary and post primary level can apply to be a part of the Green Schools Programme. This promotes long-term, whole-school action for the environment. Green-Schools is a student-led programme with involvement from the wider community. The programme is operated and co-ordinated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce (FEE member for Ireland).

I understand that my colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is working with Local Authorities to roll out an education programme on the recycling of all waste, including plastics. This Recycling Ambassadors Programme will comprise of 650 workshops on how to recycle properly for community groups and workplaces and information on this programme can be found at www.voiceireland.org/rap/.

The EU Commission also recently published its European Strategy for Plastics in January 2018. This strategy focuses on plastics production and use and sets a goal of ensuring all plastic packaging produced in the EU is recyclable by 2030. I also understand that my colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is working with the EU and other Member States to see how this country can play its part in meeting the ambition of this Strategy.