Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Following on from the Chairman's question about vending machines being banned, is the case even more extreme? Some schools do not have vending machines but they have the fizzy drinks for sale behind the counter in their canteens. Should we looking for fizzy drink free zones in schools? One can see the difference in the children's behaviour after taking that sugar rush. Is that something the Department would consider?

My other questions are for the officials from the Department of Health. What sort of contact do they have with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Education and Skills, not just about activity in schools but about ensuring that children can walk and cycle safely to school? Activity on the way to school can also help tackle obesity.

We always look to Finland when we talk about education. They have a "health in all policies" approach which has helped tackle obesity in childhood in recent years. Some 8% of Finland's education budget goes on delivering school meals. I understand it is provided for in legislation that every child is guaranteed a school meal. Is that something we should be considering? Should we be rolling out comprehensive healthy school meals? We have a crisis in obesity but we also have one in five children going to school hungry. It makes sense that it would help their education if they were eating the right foods and if we make sure they are not hungry in the classroom.