Mr. Liam McCorry:

My name is Liam McCorry. I am a full-time Gaelic football promotion officer for the Armagh County Board. Like Ms Heneghan and Mr. Creery I have noticed an increase in obesity levels over the last five to ten years. This problem exists not only in Ireland but throughout Europe and the world. What is the solution? I believe that we have the right programme to deal with the inactivity of our children. We have been running the Healthy Kidz programme for five years and the results have been outstanding. This programme is ready to be rolled out in every school in Ireland, the UK and through Europe. All of the experts believe this is a comprehensive and effective programme.

The programme comprises four strands. The first strand involves putting coaches into schools to build up the agility, balance, co-ordination and strength of children. The children are tested in week one and week 24. The programme is an in-school programme over 24 of the 30 weeks of a school year. As I said, the results thus far have been outstanding. The programme is now being run in 60 schools. We did have the support of Stormont but, unfortunately, it has collapsed. Had that not happened the programme would now be operational in 100 schools. We are ready to bring the programme to the South. We believe this is the most effective programme available to combat inactivity and obesity in our children.

Strand 2 involves the golden mile athletic challenge, which requires children to run at least one mile three times per week. Every child and class is rewarded and incentivised to do this. This is not about children running around in circles, there are different targets and incentives set for each term. Children have signed up to this programme. We now have children who are running 40 km per month comfortably. Other children are running 20 to 25 km per month. The results are unbelievable. Children are dropping sizes in their clothes, their eating habits are changing and thus concentration levels in class have improved and education results for schools are also changing.

Strand 3 is the after-schools programme around habit building, which is endorsed by all of the schools. We target children who usually do not participate in sports such as GAA, soccer and rugby. This programme is over-subscribed. Lest anybody here might think I am speaking grandly of this programme I invite them to visit any of the schools in which it has been rolled out to see the difference it is making.

Strand 4 is the programme app. To address inactivity we needed a programme for in-school and another for outside of school. Parents now take responsibility for increasing their child's activity. Once again, we reward and incentivise in respect of each strand of the programme. Mr. Creery will elaborate on the app.