Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Would anybody else like to come in? No. I thank Mr. Macey for coming before the committee and for giving us his excellent advice.

We must make it attractive for children to pursue a policy of healthy foods. It is easy to go the other way but we need to make it attractive for them to see what they can achieve by eating carefully and by combining food groups carefully.

The question of the more expensive healthy foods and how that affects the habits of people must eventually be dealt with. Some years ago I gave up salt, sugar and smoking all in the one day. It was not a great idea I can tell you as it was a bit of a challenge. I lost four stone in weight in about eight weeks. It was rapid. I know that one is not supposed to do that but it worked. It certainly brought down the weight. It has gone up a bit but it has not gone back up to the same extent.

It is noticeable what youngsters do nowadays.

They go for the sweet option, for want of a better description. There is no doubt that it is damaging to them and will be damaging to us all. If we can, we should do something by way of illustrating to them the benefits of healthy eating and the economic benefits as well in the long run. I can remember a good few years ago the campaign by the late Dr. Noël Browne on tuberculosis. Back in the 1950s they went around to all the schools and showed a film. It was very seldom that a film was shown in school at that time. Every schoolchild in the country had a viewing of a film which was targeting them in terms of the kind of lifestyle to follow in order to achieve the targets required.

I again thank Mr. Macey for coming before the committee. The meeting is now adjourned until Wednesday, 26 April 2023. I thank all, including members, for attending.