John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to Dr. Murphy if I sound reduplicative, but the point she made was so important that it needs to be emphasised. Perhaps some of our colleagues who do not work in the health service might have missed the nuance of it. There is no statutory funding available for the provision of the obesity service at Temple Street hospital. It was set up completely through voluntary fundraising and moneys raised for research resources. I know what the answer will be, but this is the most profound point that must be made today because it underlines how remarkably lacking in seriousness the service provision part of the health service is in tacking this problem. Has any consultant been appointed in paediatrics or paediatric endocrinology with a special interest in obesity who is funded or has a clinic devoted to the needs of children with weight problems? I have an ancillary question, although it may not be a fair to catch Dr. Murphy with it on the hop. Does she have any idea of the number of paediatric specialists or paediatric endocrinologists per head of population in Ireland compared to the European averages? I imagine it is rather low. I know in the case of paediatric surgeons that the numbers are absurdly at the bottom of the charts.

My final question is more of a medical or psychiatric question. Does Dr. Murphy believe there has been a subtle cultural effect as a result of the probably misguided focus on the causes of eating disorders in the previous medical generation in making parents afraid to talk about weight, weigh their children or raise concerns about issues to do with being overweight? People probably erroneously believed one could take a psychiatrically or mentally healthy child and convert him or her into an anorexic by giving him or her a focus on such issues.

I may have to step away for a while to go to the Seanad and apologise if I do not hear the reply in person. I hope the panel will not take it as disrespect. I will be coming back to hear it later.