Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Independent)

Another preventive measure is to begin weighing every schoolchild annually. The weigh-ins can be done either by the teachers or the public health nurse. Then a note can go back to each child's parents explaining their child's weight is normal or abnormal for their child's age and sex. If parents are made aware of a problem with their child's weight, they can take preventive action with assistance, if needed, from various health agencies.

The public has much interest in the obesity issue. Up to 500,000 people watched "Operation Transformation" every week on television while its webpage received over 3 million hits in eight weeks. This has never happened before to a programme on RTE. I pay tribute to the programme, in particular Gerry Ryan, and the experts who helped us when we participated in it. It brought home to me that there is an interest in both Houses of the Oireachtas in a cross-party and non-political approach to tackling obesity. We can all work together and not be scoring political points in tackling this and other such issues.

I pay tribute to Don Rice and his catering staff in the Houses of the Oireachtas for putting healthy options on the menu, the take-up of which has been tremendous. Why can every restaurant not do the same? Chefs are the experts in the caloric content of a meal and are well able to put one healthy option on every restaurant menu, allowing people to know a low-calorie meal is available when they eat out.

We do not need any more procrastination in tackling this issue. The public has a high interest in it. Action needs to be taken. The Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady, is the right person to do it. I look forward to her leading the charge. Some high profile exercising events lead by the Minister of State and celebrities should show most exercise can be done for free.

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