Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

Since the Defence Forces set their own levels of fitness in the 1980s and refined them in the 1990s, the fitness levels of our Defence Forces members have increased considerably. One can see that in those escorting cash transits, for example, and when members of the Defence Forces are in public. Perhaps I am being misunderstood to some extent but I suggest the Defence Forces could set the levels. I am not asking that they should be involved in visiting schools or the general population but they could set the levels of fitness attainment as they have done with their own personnel. That is done in West Point, in the United States. Universities throughout America look to West Point for the desired levels of fitness for particular age groups. There is nothing like that in primary and post-primary schools here where we now have a major obesity problem, with one in five children under 12 obese or overweight. There is a similar problem in the adult population.

There is a need for someone to set the standards because the Minister for Education and Science has failed. There is no great interest apart from a number of small initiatives from the Department of Health and Children. No one is taking responsibility for the general fitness of the population or even issuing guidelines that are credible and the Army could have a role to play in this regard. The Army could allow the public access to their facilities throughout the country. For example, the new gymnasium in the Curragh cost €6 million but it lies idle when the military are not using it. That facility could be used. Before the last election, the Minister promised to provide a new state-of-the-art gymnasium-sports hall in Limerick. I suggest that the schools in South Hill, Moyross and elsewhere should be allowed use that facility when it is built.

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