Frances Black (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming and I wish the Minister of State well in his new role.

This is kind of a follow-up to what Deputy Gino Kenny spoke about. In his opening statement, the Minister of State mentioned that childhood obesity is more prevalent in areas of disadvantage. I hear what he is saying. He placed great emphasis on the educational aspect of that, which is an important factor. However, in many instances, poor diet is not really caused by lack of education but, rather, by poverty. The Minister of State mentioned that he worked with several Departments to address this issue, in particular the Department of Social Protection. While the recruitment of community food and nutrition officers is very welcome, I am conscious of the cost associated with healthy foods, which can be very high. What have the two Departments achieved regarding lower income families? Have any measures been taken to address the financial aspect of healthy eating? We all know when we go into the supermarkets that everything in the healthy corner costs almost double the price. It is difficult for low-income families to be able to eat healthy food. What has been done? Have any measures been taken to address this?