Mr. Mike Neary:

The programme is our way of implementing the European school fruit and vegetable scheme, which comes under the remit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Obesity is not the point where we, as an organisation, would start from, but rather trying to increase the consumption of fresh produce, that is, fruit and vegetables, it just happens that it is complementary to the issue of tackling obesity because it is a key part of a balanced, healthy diet. We are using the funding available from Europe and nationally to double the benefit. We have closely consulted the Department of Health and other Departments in how we shape and develop the programme and how it can evolve and be built in order that is integrated. We are also part of the Healthy Ireland initiative network. We are one part of the overall effort. On an everyday basis, our starting point is in promoting produce in the context of where it will have that benefit.

Funding is critical. None of these schemes is cheap to run, but one must look down the road at the costs if these schemes were not in place. Close to 50% of the funding comes from a European fund. That is €150 million and it goes towards the school scheme, which is a European initiative, and another €100 million goes into the milk scheme. We need to make the programme as effective as possible, get it into as many schools as possible and ensure that as many children as possible are exposed to it on an ongoing basis. That is our key task. However, we do not do it in isolation. We do it with other entities, although we run and look after the programme exclusively.