Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I noticed that the Minister of State used a phrase a few times over the course of the morning, which is that education and awareness are key. I must say that I am not aware of any great body of evidence to indicate that they are. When one thinks about the vast sums of money that various vested interests in the alcohol, tobacco, fast-food and gambling industries spend on advertising, it is hard to see how health awareness messages or campaigns could counter them. We also know, of course, that some of those industries are providing educational programmes in schools. Drinkaware, for example, was providing to schools material about drinking. It took a long time for the Minister to put a stop to that. The same is now happening in our schools in respect of gambling.

I accept that this is a new area. We have talked a lot this morning about the social determinants of health, and they are very strong. We were hoping to have a session today on the commercial determinants of health, which are a different thing altogether relating to the undue influence of big business on health policy. It is a new area.

I do not know if the Minister of State is aware that the entire annual report of the chief medical officer, CMO, in Wales last year related to the commercial determinants of health, shaping our health and how commercial interests influence our choices and behaviours. I ask the Minister of State to give some thought to the following. Given that this is a new area, very little work has been done in this country at a departmental or official level. Will the Minister of State give some thought to commissioning a report on the commercial determinants of health in this country in order that we can assess the strength of those determinants and what can be done to counter them?