Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the presentation and for the very valuable work they do. Yesterday, the hospice movement gave us an overview of the huge variation in hospice care across the country. The issue that comes to mind regarding children is the recent report on obesity which shows that 25% of children under three years of age are overweight or obese. It is obviously a problem created at a very early age so we must plan to deal with it now. What must be done at national level? The witness spoke about setting up proper structures relating to public health nurses and children. I am asking about dealing with that issue here and now. How has it been allowed to develop so fast in such a short period of time? What are the witness's observations on that issue? It will be a major health problem for all of us over the next ten years because of the way it seems to have developed. Perhaps the witness would discuss that.