Mr. Ronan Toomey:

It is worth putting in context some of the work that is ongoing in the Department on physical activity, which will add to what Dr. Holohan and Dr. Gaynor have said. As Dr. Holohan mentioned, we are in the process of developing a national physical activity plan and are engaging to a significant extent with a range of stakeholders to identify the best means by which we can get the population of the country more active. While these stakeholders include the Departments of Education and Skills and Children and Youth Affairs, the sporting bodies, the Irish Sports Council and a range of other stakeholders are key to the implementation of what is a significant challenge for us. Our primary message is that physical activity is one of the most significant decisions anyone can make that benefits their own health. That message must filter down to everyone. Of course, we must do that in a way that ensures the safety and security of any individual who chooses to participate in physical activity.

The ongoing discussions we have had with the sporting bodies on developing a physical activity plan show that they are fully committed to working with us. As Dr. Holohan mentioned earlier, one of the innovative aspects of Healthy Ireland is that it calls for genuine cross-sectoral engagement. That is not just with the Department of Education and Skills, with which we have had a very good relationship on the delivery of the plan, but also the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, which is co-chairing the group.

That is also the case outside our own areas of responsibility in the sports bodies and working with community and voluntary organisations to try to identify the best means of doing it.

I will make one further point about what Dr. Gaynor said about facilities in schools. One of the engagements we have had with sports bodies is attempting to identify how best to use the facilities available in communities across the country. Many sports facilities are available for particular single organisations, for example, football, soccer, rugby and athletics clubs and so on. There might be an opportunity to better share these facilities at local level and we have been trying to identify how we can encourage this and ensure the sharing of facilities becomes a priority agenda in local communities throughout the country. I hope it will add to the ongoing work the Department is undertaking.