Professor Donal O'Shea:

It is encouraging to see the stabilising of childhood obesity but it disguises the separation to which the Chairman referred. We are living longer but with more years of chronic disease, which we already cannot afford in our hospital setting as it is filling the trolleys. Historically, we have shown the capacity to change and to introduce public health changes. The WHO has looked at the Healthy Ireland framework and said that, if we were to do it right, it could be a template. We are seeing some shoots in respect of this. Three Ministers got together to launch the healthy eating standards for DEIS schools and secondary schools a few weeks ago and there are now minimum standards for catering in secondary schools. That is a start and if they are rolled out and there are popular health catering awards, such as those of the Irish Heart Foundation, they can work. We have to be positive and progressive but we must resource it.