Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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255. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an audit has been carried out of those schools with vending machines in order to assess the income levels provided and determine the way in which schools can develop alternative sources of income; if not, the reason therefor; if the matter will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40048/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998 the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school.

My Department is not aware if any audit has been carried out on those schools where vending machines have been installed by the school Board of Management. It is a matter for each individual school to determine the nature of any fundraising activities that they become involved in.

Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education and I remain committed to achieving this. However, I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the education sector in any one year.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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256. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a question will be included on the income levels provided to schools by vending machines as part of the life skills survey; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40049/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Lifeskills Survey data provides important information which informs Departmental priorities and policies in the areas of health and wellbeing for students. The findings from the survey highlight the work being done in schools to equip students with a range of essential lifeskills, including physical activity and healthy eating, aspects of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE), as well as addressing anti-bullying, substance use and road safety.

Previous surveys included a question relating to the availability of vending machines in schools. This question is directly relevant to the promotion of healthy eating in schools. The inclusion of a question regarding income levels provided to schools by vending machines is not, however, relevant to the topics explored in the Lifeskills survey and, therefore, a question on this will not be included in the 2018 survey.