Mr. Shane Dempsey:

There has been engagement with the Department of Health and other health professionals but the collaboration has been piecemeal to date. A policy objective is created and the food industry is brought in to comment on it. It is not part of an overall coherent whole of society approach to deal with the complexity to which I will address shortly. We are trying to establish a collaborative platform with the Department of Health and with the Government. Industry and FDII members have committed to putting significant resources into research and other initiatives, including reformulation to address the obesity issue wherever they can.

We have seen the impact of the BAI's advertising regime. Taxation will be another disaster if it is brought in. We ask to be brought into the process earlier. We have bona fides and have done a huge amount in terms of reformulation. Some 80% of my members have reformulated. They have spent millions of euro on that and on a producing healthier, or as it is termed "better for you" products and variants. They have essentially removed transfat from all their products. The salt reduction programme is considered a huge success by the FSAI. Individually, they spend millions of euro supporting healthier initiatives. We have bona fides there.

We are asking to be brought into the process earlier. We can help to create health policies that achieve health objectives without damaging the competitiveness. We are asking for a responsibility-type deal which members might have seen in the UK, or a version of that.

I would say to Senator O'Keeffe that we would be delighted to utilise the Lily O'Brien's logo. We will talk to her colleague about membership at a later date.