Margaret Conlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

They are our future and deserve to have their issues debated by us.

Ireland has changed beyond recognition in the past 15 years. The Celtic tiger has led to increased opportunities and with opportunities come challenges. While we have become more affluent, we have also found ourselves dealing with the many societal issues that come with increased wealth.

The majority of our young people have a very comfortable lifestyle and while I agree that we, as legislators, have a role to play in ensuring problems are dealt with and that our schools continue to educate in a holistic manner, I welcome the many new programmes introduced in our schools to deal with the challenges facing our young people. However, let us be clear, parents also have a duty to parent and they need to be supported by us in this role.

For me, health promotion is hugely important. Statistics show that good habits formed early on in life are maintained. The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, referred a number of years ago to the new generation of "screen-agers" who spend every spare minute moving from one screen to another, from PlayStation to Game Boy to the computer screen to the TV screen. They see this as their pastime but it is a sedentary pastime and we need to encourage these young people to participate in sport and to become much more active. Unfortunately, it is the exception rather than the norm that children would walk to and from school. This is not always related to road safety but a habit formed early in life.

I agree that not every child is a gifted footballer or a talented athlete. We need to take account of the pressure placed on young people to win and to stress the importance of participation rather than winning. In this respect, I commend the work of Community Games which provide many different opportunities for young people to participate in a broad range of artistic, sporting and cultural activities. These activities are of huge benefit from a physical perspective but they also enable our young people to develop team building skills which they will need as they progress through life. Every community has an active GAA, soccer or other sport club and huge resources have been invested in the juvenile sports structure, and the Government continues to invest in sporting facilities through the sports capital programme. We must give due recognition to the many volunteers involved in these clubs but it is important for parents to become more involved because clubs will not survive if it is left to the few to keep the momentum going.

A healthy body leads to a healthy mind and our schools play a major role in health promotion by encouraging nutritious lunches and banning fizzy drinks and junk food. In responding to the issue of childhood obesity, we need to deal with the complex causes including diet, lifestyle and environmental issues. While it is important to tackle childhood obesity it is also imperative that our young people do not become obsessed with the fashion, food and slimming adverts which, either directly or by implication, link positive, emotional or psychological well-being with reduced food intake or a particular body shape.

As a teacher I understand the pressures facing our young people. Many are stressed but many also put themselves under increased pressure. They have a very active social life. Many have part-time jobs and they try to juggle work with school work and study to ensure they get the course of their dreams. Unfortunately, some students spend equally as much or more time in active employment as they do in school. Their increased disposable income is some cases is spent on alcohol, cigarettes or other illicit substances.

Our young people seem to live for the present and the notion of saving for the rainy day is a concept with which they are not familiar. It is not uncommon for teachers to have classes on a Monday morning which are not well attended or if students are present their attention span is poor as they recover from the excesses of the weekend. This dependence on alcohol is worrying. While many young people do not drink or drink responsibly, unfortunately there are some whose idea of a good night out is when they cannot remember it the next day. We have all witnessed the scenes of young people, drunk and disoriented lying on the street and in clubs and that brings its own problems. Alcohol should contain the same health warning as cigarettes so the user is clear that it can have serious health effects.

We need to work to promote a healthy mind and positive mental health. I welcome the developments of the SPHE programme at primary and secondary level where children become more confident in discussing their problems because for too long we have lived with the notion that children should be seen and not heard. I reiterate my commitment to promoting the issues and concerns of the young people I represent. I welcome the debate and look forward to continued investment and commitment in this area.

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