Ms Christine Moloney:

I thank the Chairman and the members for giving the leisure industry the opportunity to put the case that it is an important stakeholder in the implementation of obesity strategies. I have been in the leisure industry for 19 years, with most of those years spent working in large-scale facilities in the public leisure sector. Mr. Walsh has more than 20 years' experience in the private leisure sector in the UK and Ireland, based predominantly in Dublin.

ILAM is a not-for-profit organisation and a national employers' body for the leisure, fitness and recreational industry across 26 counties. We represent leisure centres in the public and private sectors, outdoor pursuit centres, community centres and providers of education to the industry. There are approximately 700 leisure centres across 26 counties of Ireland. This illustrates the scale of the number of facilities. We do not need more gyms or pools; we have plenty of people to help with the implementation of the strategy. As Dr. Cullen suggested, we must take a multidisciplinary approach instead of having silo mentalities, as has been the case where resources and personnel are duplicated and replicated. Our industry employs a broad spectrum of professional staff, including fitness professionals, cardiac rehabilitation and GP referral professionals, physiotherapists and swim instructors.

ILAM is a voluntary board whose main aim is to provide self-regulation for the industry and promote competencies throughout communities. We are very much embedded in our communities across 26 counties. We self-regulate through a white flag quality standard. We work with the HSE on child protection guidelines. We met with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to discuss the protection of children using our facilities. We have relationships with the Garda vetting bureau. All of our professional fitness staff are Garda-vetted. We operate a register of exercise professionals in order to validate their qualifications. Our leisure centres are accessible to all. We co-operate with partners in the UK, in Europe and internationally. These partner associations undertake research, lobby on behalf of the industry in order to improve participation and deal with societal health issues. Childhood obesity is not just an Irish issue; rather, it is a global issue.

The purpose of our presentation is to explain the opportunity that exists for our leisure industry to implement obesity strategies by means of our facilities and personnel. We have made assumptions that the diagnostic and intervention processes have been completed. We are here to show how these strategies can be implemented effectively.

Our industry is based on participation. Our facilities across the country are embedded in their communities. We need multi-level partnerships, collaboration and a common vision. I concur with Dr. Cullen's vision in this regard. We need commitment from all of the agencies, institutions and organisations to make this change and to increase participation, as mentioned on page 133 of the report of the Irish Sports Council. However, nothing is happening with regard to engaging these people and organisations. The reports are available. We are here today to say that we are able to help, and we ask the committee to let us help. We have the referral pathways, the competencies and the resources to provide pathways for obese and pre-obese clients before medical intervention is required. Anyone who watched the RTE television programme "The Obesity Clinic" last Monday night must have found it distressing. The people in the programme have to seek medical intervention because they have reached that stage. They may not have had the opportunity to get help from exercise professionals to improve their quality of life. Our industry is part of this multidisciplinary approach to increased participation. We provide a primary care solution.

The UK model known as MEND tackles obesity in the community, dealing in particular with children aged seven to 13 years. It is a multidisciplinary approach. Interventions include behavioural change by means of land-based and water-based activities, advice on nutrition and educational advice. Implementation is carried out in after-school settings, community groups, leisure centres and schools. This model has resulted in increased participation, reduced BMI and increasing self-esteem and confidence among the children involved.

I can cite a case from Leisure World. We were looking for a project to prove to our industry that leisure professionals can provide a sustainable and successful approach to citizens whose health issues need to be tackled. We were looking for participants who had never entered a leisure facility, whose BMI was over a certain figure and who were intimidated at the prospect of using our facilities. This was an adult-based project. We wanted to promote the fact that the leisure industry is a key provider of pathways and can offer direct access to members of the public who would benefit from professional exercise advice and support. The 12-week programme known as Project Weight Loss was born. We advertised in the hope of attracting 30 participants with BMIs over 25 who were inactive. The initial project was oversubscribed, with 120 applicants. Sixty participants were initially accommodated on the pilot scheme, which was supported through the Cork sports partnership. I have provided a slide showing the results achieved by the 60 participants. Every participant lost weight and size, by which I mean centimetres off their body measurements. Over the past three months, there have been 300 participants in the programme. Between 15% and 20% of participants did not complete the programme due to ill-health, life issues or a lack of confidence, but 40% of the 300 are currently independently exercising in a gym or doing some other activity because they have the confidence required to do so.

They believe they can do it. Forty per cent remain in contact with the programme. Currently, we have 45 participants in Leisure World on this programme. We could cater for many more but we do not have the resources in one facility to do that. Staffing resources are the issue. We believe there is demand to do three times as many at any one time in any one location. My point is that there are people who are looking for help, and we are here to help them.

Some of the participants' comments would include that the company of others in the same situation and proper instructional motivation resulted in their positive feedback; the staff are genuinely interested and are keen to help them improve their lifestyle; there was clear instruction from staff to improve without pushing them too far; they are delighted with the way they feel; and they are trying to adopt a new lifestyle to be fitter and healthier. One person said that movement is easier. Another person's comment was that their breathing has improved, they are able to exercise longer and their clothes feel a little looser. Those are basic benefits to people that mean so much because they got 12 weeks, intervention on a healthy, active lifestyle.

Our plan for the future, along with the Cork Sports Partnership, is to implement this project nationwide through the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management, ILAM. We now have the Health Service Executive, HSE, health promotion unit in Cork engaged. It did not want to get engaged at the outset because it saw us as a profit-making organisation. That is far from the truth. Our aim is to get more people more active more often. It is not about money; it is about doing the right thing for our society. The HSE is now involved and it endorses the programme from the health promotion and dietician aspect.

The Cork Sports Partnership is continuing to support the initiative. We will start taking this project across our county and we will undertake a training leader programme with eight centres in the community. That is a pilot scheme in County Cork but our vision is to take that nationwide.

The project has proved that as an industry we can help. We have the capability to improve people's lifestyle behaviours. The pilot scheme has provided the hard evidence in terms of these facts, therefore, these are no longer aspirations. They are facts, and we can make a difference to people's lives.

In terms of the support our industry needs, we must be included. We must have a voice in this fight against obesity, and we are an important stakeholder in the implementation strategies. We must have support from key agencies such as the HSE to endorse activities and improve participation, and not see it as a profit making activity.

In terms of other ways our industry can be supported, many of our members have to charge VAT on teaching children to swim. That is not helpful. It is turning people away from becoming more active. Benefit in kind on leisure centre membership is also counter-productive. Health insurance incentives for people who take the time to become healthy and be responsible for their own health is also counter-productive.

In summary, the leisure industry facilities and personnel can support a family unit from the cradle to the grave with activities and education through a multi-disciplinary and collaborative focus. Page 135 of the Irish Sports Council's strategic advice document states:

We are putting our hands up to help. Our Industry is a great Resource but under Utilised at present.

Many public facilities in every county across this country were built using public moneys. Why are we not being utilised? Active children equals active adults. Again, it is a case of having more people more active more often.