Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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341. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether the drinks industry-funded programmes should be delivered in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56485/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It is not appropriate that resources or materials produced or funded by the drinks industry, for education and awareness on alcohol, are in use in our schools. This is reflected in Departmental Circular 13/2016, Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles in Primary Schools, which states that schools should avoid using resources developed by the alcohol industry, and also in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment's SPHE Guidelines for Teachers.

My Department is giving active consideration to how best to ensure that this position is reflected across our schools. In that regard it is continuing to liaise with the HSE, in the context of ongoing work with both the HSE and the Department of Health on the cross-Government Healthy Ireland programme, the national framework for action to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Ireland.