Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegation for the presentation. I wish to express particular thanks to the team leaders who are Ms Charlotte O'Connell, Mr. Gavin Walker, Ms Deirdre Halford, Mr. Gregg Starr and Ms Monica Percy. I also wish to thank the boy named Aaron. With my children's rights background I am particularly passionate about childhood obesity. His mother and him were very honest. The challenge of childhood obesity is being faced in many households in Ireland. The presentation is a wake-up call for all of us. That is why I welcome the seven point plan outlined to us today.

I welcome the approach taken by "Operation Transformation". Unlike its contemporary programmes in the UK and US which have winners and are so competitive, "Operation Transformation" is about lifestyle changes and our health. The honesty of the leaders in facing some of their life issues in a public sphere gives heart to the rest of us and encourages us to face up to our own challenges. We can never underestimate the power of handling issues in a non-judgemental manner.

I welcome the "Step it Up" campaign. The best bit for me was the pride in the young people's faces as they sat in their classroom and declared the number of steps each had taken. It shows the possibility and potential of the campaign. The project can build the self-esteem of young people and they learn that they can be part of their own solution. Often we look at children as problems rather than leaders and I welcome that development. I also welcome the involvement of parents.

I agree with the delegation's promotion of having fruit at checkouts and healthy prompts which we all know about. Recently I spoke to transition year students participating in a cross-community project in Howth and Sutton. During the workshop we had a coffee break and they surprised me by producing fruit cups and a plate of biscuits. The fruit cups were in plastic cups and two-thirds of the boys and girls chose them to eat. It was amazing to see how easily a healthy option can be made available and incorporated into their lives. I have also been to a school located in a disadvantaged area which has a breakfast club. The school realised that the children's lunches were bad. A new initiative was prompted when a child was found standing over a bin eating dry pot noodles. I am not a pot noodle fan but I found the idea of eating dry pot noodles disconcerting. The teacher decided to deal with the matter. The school invited the parents in with their children and informed them about the types of lunches they could make. That child now makes her own tuna wrap for school.

That brings me to another issue. There are figures which state that one in four or five children, depending on which research one reads, go to school hungry. All of us think that is due to austerity and poverty created by the recession. In fact the reason many of those children go to school hungry is due to the wherewithal of their parents and it is not always a monetary issue. Clearly there are some poverty issues. It is also a matter of having the right foods in a household to allow children eat a breakfast in the morning and therefore are better prepared for school.

I welcome the "Count Me In" initiative and when I visited New York last summer it influenced my eating. Being able to see the calorie content does have a direct effect on the food choices that one makes. It encourages us to choose a healthier option.

The programme has given the Irish nation a challenge. It has given politicians an even greater challenge because me must see how we can implement the seven step plan and what role we can play. I thank the delegation for its leadership.