Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I am putting in context the scale of the amount involved and the impact it has in this area.

I want now to return to the healthy lifestyle we enjoyed as children although I accept that life was different then. When I was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in most cases there was a parent at home which meant one enjoyed a balanced diet and regular meals on the table. Much of this has been replaced by pizza and processed foods which contain lots of salts and fats. There is a huge personal responsibility on each of us as citizens and parents to try to educate ourselves and our children in regard to having a healthy lifestyle.

While I do not like to refer to the young people of this generation as the "playstation or Xbox generation" that is to a large degree who they are. The Government has during the past number of years invested hugely in facilities such as sports halls and public spaces in terms of playgrounds, including playgrounds for older people, which is to be welcomed. We need to continue to encourage children to use them. I am conscious of the success of the schools' Green Flag programme, which is a good idea. We should perhaps consider the introduction of a healthwise flag which would encourage children at school to opt for a healthy lifestyle in terms of exercise and food.

I met on Tuesday in my new role as Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries with the fishermen groups and was shocked to hear from one fisherman that 120 boxes of white fish had been dumped at port this week because there was no market for it, which is incredible. I made the point that it would have been better had they bagged it and given to schoolchildren in the area to bring home. Fish is a healthy option which is available in our ports but there is no market for it. We need to increase the amount of fish we consume. Likewise we need to encourage people to use our public parks.

Deputy O'Sullivan referred earlier to obesity levels and food menus in America. I travelled Route 66 last summer and as such I spent almost three weeks driving across America. I had a very interesting experience in terms of food portion sizes and access to public spaces. Often environmental issues in Ireland take precedence over people. I got the impression while in America that people come first and then the environment. America is the first country I have visited where I could wheel on the beach. I could do this because they had constructed on the beach a two or three metre wide concrete path which ran for 20 miles along a beach in Los Angeles. Under normal circumstances, one cannot access the beaches. There would be uproar in Ireland if we tried to construct concrete paths on any of the beaches here. We must examine how we can encourage people to use our outdoor facilities, of which we have many.

We need to also examine the size of our food portions. I was delighted to hear that the Irish Hotel Federation recently issued a food for kids programme which is to be introduced at its hotels. This is extremely important. When we were growing up we did not get to go to many hotels. When one goes to a hotel these days it is chips and sausages or chips and nuggets rather than a half portion of dinner that is listed as the children's menu. Years ago, when one went to a hotel for dinner it was possible for children to get a half portion of what the adults were having. This should be reintroduced. We should also consider the introduction of healthy options menus, which are more profitable. Members will be aware of the success of the "Operation Transformation" menu in the self service canteen. Unless one goes in early in the evening, the OT options are gone. People want to eat healthier. There is more we can do, including ensuring the availability of low fat milk and Benecols and so on, which are vitally important to us.

In Ireland, if one asks for a sandwich one usually gets a sandwich, half a plate of coleslaw and a bag of crisps so that instead of having a snack of 300 calories one has a snack of 1,200 calories. We need to be mindful of this and that exercise is key. When I started the exercise campaign ten or 11 weeks ago I could swim 20 lengths of the 25 metre swimming pool in approximately one hour. I can now swim 40 lengths, which is a kilometre, in 40 minutes, because my fitness level has improved. I also push two miles and cycle for one hour two or three days a week. I exercise seven days a week. The key to losing weight is to reduce one's portion size, reduce the level of fat intake in one's diet and to exercise. If I can do it, anybody can do it. It was amazing to watch the 15 people cross-party take on the challenge and succeed.

I welcome the multi-sectoral approach to this across all Departments. I acknowledge the huge amount of funding invested in facilities throughout the country. I agree with the previous speaker in regard to the traffic light scheme. I believe supermarkets have an opportunity to go ahead of the industry in terms of using the red-orange-green light system in their aisles. One can eat products from the red aisle but cannot eat too many of them. Many of us who visit families and relations will know of the "shop in the press", which usually contains Twirls, KitKat and bags of crisps. This is often in our own homes too. There is probably one in every house. We need to be mindful of this and try to encourage people to eat healthier. I believe the first supermarket to use the red-orange-green light system in its aisles will be credited for doing so and will see a huge uptake in people shopping there.

We, as consumers, have the power to change the industry. Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Tayto are three major companies. McDonalds has and continues to change its menu to meet consumer demand. However, we as consumers ultimately have the power to change the industry. If we continue to choose the healthier option we will force their hands in terms of changing their products. "Operation Transformation" was a huge success — it has received a great deal of mention here today — and we should perhaps as a Government and a nation consider running, through the media and this House, a national campaign in the form of "Operation Transformation" which could perhaps be called "Mobilising the Nation" and would assist in encouraging people to get fit and stay healthy thus reducing the costs on our health service. We all have a personal responsibility in this regard.

The issue of children running in schoolyards and compensation claims and so on was mentioned earlier. We are to blame for some of this. We must ensure schools are not sued if children are hurt playing football or have fallen when running home from school in the evening. We must consider putting in place safe walkways and cycle lanes for school children. These are not huge cost options but are actions that could be taken as soon as possible. I commend the Minister of State for bringing this motion before the House and for giving us the time to contribute to it.

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