Mr. Gerry Duffy:

My colleague, Mr. Jorge Arroita, is a specialist on sugar-free foods. We have sent the committee documentation and we encourage questions but we are here to make the point for schools and their children to have less sugar. We have been told by some eminent doctors, especially in the US, that sugar is now more hurtful to people than tobacco, which is a frightening prospect. People must back that up as it cannot just be left as a statement.

The World Health Organisation provides some general statistics and there is also the promotion of healthy diets and physical activity in school. Fat versus sugar forms the basis of a new health debate. Dr. Robert Lustig is an eminent physician in the US who has come up with wonderful material on this issue. Calorie for calorie, sugar makes us fatter than any other food. Sugar-free schools in Sweden, Denmark and the USA have undergone many studies, with results indicating that pupils become more healthy and attentive in such schools. Statistics back up these findings.

We recognise that diet is not the only element to consider and children must also be more aware of physical activity. We do not want to keep hammering about not having sugar as everything is okay in moderation. Nevertheless, we are here to explain how a sugar-free diet makes everybody healthier. We must start in the schools, as there is now a tendency towards having vending machines in them. They are perhaps not as regulated as they should be. There is a facility, if required, to place vending machines with only sugar-free products in schools, and we can explain that process later.

We invite questions, which we will answer as best we can. We know the committee's time is very important and we will do our best to help promote sugar-free diets.