Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I sincerely thank Mr. Macey for what was a sobering and alarming presentation. It is my honest opinion that this whole issue is not being taken as the most awfully serious issue that it is, which is how it should be taken by the Government. For example, if those deaths that are going to potentially occur in the future of our beautiful young children were going to happen on our roads, there would be an outcry, and if we thought we could introduce some measure, as we have done to protect people and to try to reduce the number of deaths on our roads, I am sure the Government would be acting a lot quicker than it actually is.

Mr. Macey wants us to do certain things. We should all take it upon ourselves, as a group and as individuals, to raise this matter at every level that we can. All Mr. Macey can do is highlight the problem that is there and will potentially be there in the years ahead, which he has done in an excellent fashion. I do not think anything is more important than the protection of our young people. As children, they are not able to protect themselves. It is our job and our place, first, as parents, aunts and uncles, and then as politicians and decision-makers, to try to protect them from the harm they might put themselves in by getting into the habit of wrong and bad diets, which are, in themselves, addictive.

We have taken every type of measure to stop people smoking, we have tried to stop people from over-indulging in alcohol and there is a continuous war on illegal drugs. It will have to be agreed by all of us that, having listened to the excellent presentation, we are not doing enough in the war, as I would call it, on sugary and fatty foods, addictive sweets, sweet drinks and all of those sorts of things that are bad for children. In life, any one of us can fall into a bad habit and we can become addicted to something, whatever it is. We all have to work together on this issue. I would label this evening’s presentation as one of the most important we have had since the committee was formed a number of years ago, and that is not to make little of any other witnesses who came before us. This issue is of paramount importance.