Results 961-980 of 11,702 for speaker:Colm Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: It generated €32 million in 2022 and went from €16.3 million initially in 2018 up to €32 million in 2022. It is now coming back down because when it was introduced, the entire issue was about the VAT code. The tax was imposed with a different rate, depending on the sugar content in the drinks, so with the higher sugar content, the more tax was paid. The whole idea is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: This is not to do with a salt tax but it is specifically to do with sugar. Remember, the entire matter concerns the health issues which can arise if people consume excessive amounts of products which have excessive amounts of sugar. The whole idea is to try to reduce that not only by campaigns advising people that they need to eat more healthily but also ensuring the foods which are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: The World Health Organization policy recommendations are what we are trying to follow through on now. That is a reason we have taken some action following on from the World Health Organization's recommendations. A tax on unhealthy foods is one of the things we are talking about. We are also looking at marketing restrictions, subsidies for fruit and vegetables and mandatory front of packet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: It is not on food products.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: First, on the hot school meals, it is provided during the school term. I know that the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has indicated that her Department remains committed to working with colleagues to support children and families as much as possible as part of the wider cross-Government response, including through the Cabinet subcommittee on child poverty and the food poverty working group. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: On healthy eating, one issue that could apply in areas of lower socioeconomic areas is a lack of access to food outlets. People may not necessarily have the choice. For instance, I have come across shops in particular areas that will not sell fruit. The reason, they say, is that there is not a market for it. That is one of the problems that can exist as well. As a result, if people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: My apologies. I referred to “social welfare” a few times this morning when it should be “social protection”. That is one of the reasons the Department of Social Protection rolled out the hot school meals programme. Remember, when we started that programme, we initially focused on DEIS schools in particular. There has been that co-ordination from the health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: I would like to come in on that point. Between 1990 and 2008, the levels of overweight and obesity in Irish children doubled across all age groups. They actually doubled in that period. The one good thing that has happened since 2008 is that the level has been at least static, although we have not made progress in reducing it. It is important that all the work the various Departments have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: It needs to be worked on especially where people are having to travel to Dublin for care. Obviously it is something to look at. We also need to make sure that we have the expertise available to provide the level of care that people require and make sure it is managed in a proper manner. That is one of things we need to do in each of the health areas, that is, to have that special expertise...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: It is something the Department will have to look at in that regard but also working within the HSE because it is the HSE that will be providing the healthcare. It is also cutting across other Departments as well, for example, education and social protection. It is not just health that is involved here. It would have to be a joint approach by a number of different Departments and also by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: The nutritional standards for the hot school meals programme were developed by a working group led by the health and well-being programme in my Department in consultation with Safefood and the healthy eating and active living programme in the Health Service Executive. We have all been involved with the nutrition content. The hot school meals programme is funded by the Department of Social...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: From his involvement with local authorities, Senator Conway may very well find there is resistance from ratepayers in some local authority areas to these markets being opened up. This is something that local authorities have to deal with. We have no difficulty in engaging with local authorities and encouraging them to do more work in this area. The response we are likely to get from local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: We have no difficulty in corresponding with local authorities on this issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: My understanding is that it does not come under the remit of the Department of Health.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: It is obviously something we need to look at if there is concern. There are contracts between the relevant Department and the people supplying the accommodation. I presume that Department set out guidelines. On the one hand there is the accommodation-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: We could engage with the Department on this. I will have look at it to see whether we would correspond with the Department to see what are the guidelines it has issued to the contractors that provide the accommodation with regard to the food being provided. I am disappointed to hear this is occurring. Now that it has been raised, I will certainly engage with the Department involved in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: It would also be helpful if the Senator could give us specific examples where there is clear evidence of substandard-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: If the information is passed on to me, we will certainly pick it up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: It would be very difficult for any action to be taken unless we have specifics.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Childhood Obesity: Discussion (10 Jul 2024)

Colm Burke: Therefore, if there are specific areas-----