Vending machines will not be banned from secondary schools in Ireland despite fresh opposition from the HSE and campaigners, as part of ongoing efforts to stem childhood obesity.
The Sunday Independent reports that the Department of Education has ignored new calls to remove the machines, despite recent figures from the World Health Organisation which show Ireland has the highest rate of obesity among EU member states for young children.
This week the HSE released a statement welcoming a ban on junk food in schools and supporting fast-food exclusion zones around schools.
30 percent of schools have machines or school shops which generally sell unhealthy food.
However, The Department of Education say there are no plans to ban the use of vending machines in second-level schools, adding that schools' efforts must be complemented by parents and the wider community.
