Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair. He raised an important point around cooking and people's ability. Sometimes people and families are time poor with both parents working. Through the Sláintecare healthy communities initiative, there are programmes to help people within certain communities around the country. They are designed in particular to help mothers to prepare meals. The issue in the roll-out of that initiative is often access to cooking facilities. On the reformulation, the roadmap will end in 2025 and there will be an evaluation thereafter of its impact. Work is ongoing in the meantime.

The Cathaoirleach mentioned bariatric services, and I know the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, alluded to them in his presentation to the committee. As the committee knows, services were set up in 2023 under the HSE bariatric plan with a view to offering 500 outpatient appointments, some 200 inpatient surgeries and 400 clinical validations. As of last December, 45.5 whole-time equivalent staff had been recruited. I understand the HSE met its target last year and, in fact, delivered 6% more activity than planned. CHOs 5 and 7 commenced multidisciplinary team services for managing obesity in children in 2023. I know that the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, indicated when he was here that he will be requesting a full report on waiting lists. I understand he will be sharing that with the committee.