Seanad debates

Tuesday, 24 May 2005

Report of National Task Force on Obesity: Statements.

 

4:00 pm

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Labour)

Senator Feeney spoke about the importance of children playing, an issue on which I would also like to concentrate. I raised the matter in the House last week when the report of the national task force on obesity was first published. I have examined this problem in my local area and have also studied the report on national play policy which was published a few years ago by the National Children's Office. That policy contains an action plan which required local authorities and county development boards to take certain steps. In my own local authority area, however, many of those recommendations have not yet been implemented. The Minister of State spoke about providing grants to local authorities, which is a worthwhile idea, but more needs to be provided. County councils may get the money without putting an overall strategy in place. That is the way the matter has been handled to date by my local authority which does not have a national play officer, although that was one of the recommendations of the policy. The county development board has not done up its plan yet either.

I would take issue with my local authority in this respect. It spent money under the RAPID scheme for disadvantaged areas, but the remainder was spent in an area where the number of children is lower than in other areas. For example, no extra playgrounds were provided in Lucan, yet it has the largest number of children. The money was put into settled areas and, while I agree with that, the local authority has done nothing to provide playgrounds where they are most needed. The Department of Health and Children, other Departments and the National Children's Office should do more to ensure that councils spend funding correctly.

An overall strategy is required, which would encompass the wider picture including children's needs. The question of disadvantage should not be used as an easy way to decide how to spend money. There are many different types of disadvantage. For example, an area could be disadvantaged even though it does not fit the traditional measurements of disadvantage, such as unemployment. Examples of disadvantage emerged in the recent by-elections in Kildare North and Meath. There has been major development in some areas where families with young children have both parents working full-time to pay a mortgage. They must spend part of the day in traffic jams. Such people in new communities could also be considered disadvantaged and, therefore, should receive targeted support, including play facilities. There is a similar community in Lucan where I live. Nonetheless, the type of work that is being done for disadvantaged areas under the RAPID area scheme is also necessary. Such a scheme is operating in Clondalkin in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West.

Senator Feeney spoke about her childhood experiences, and I had a similar experience. When I was young, one could play in the estate and stay out late on summer nights. Children could play in the road in front of their homes then, but it is no longer possible to do so, given the growth in traffic and the restricted space in modern estates. Parents can no longer leave their children out on the road, so we must provide them with suitable recreational facilities. The country has a much higher population, yet there are fewer play facilities than previously.

Local authorities do not invest enough money in neighbourhood play facilities. They tend to put one playground in a big park, which might cover an entire electoral area. Councils are not prepared to invest in smaller playgrounds because of high insurance costs. The national play policy took up this issue and stated there is no evidence that numerous claims arise from the use of playgrounds. Risk management could be undertaken, including the provision of guidelines for the safety of those using play facilities. That is how to tackle insurance costs and ensure claims do not arise. The area needs to be examine further but it appears to be a red herring for local authorities. For example, when some councils received RAPID area funding, they spent it on neighbourhood facilities. In some ways, local councils contradict themselves on the insurance issue but there are many ways of examining it. Sometimes, a local authority can work with the community; an authority might insure playground facilities while estate residents may be willing to raise some of the money for maintaining and monitoring those facilities. Something along those lines was done in County Kerry.

The Taoiseach expressed shock at the finding in the task force's report that play is being curtailed by schools due to the fear of litigation. That had already been pointed out in the national play policy, Ready, Steady, Play, two years ago, where it was stated that play during breaks was becoming increasingly restricted as physical activities such as running, chasing, climbing and ball games were curtailed as a result of fears of injury and litigation.

Risk management comes into play here. The Labour Party has published a document on the funding of primary schools where it identified that insurance has become a major cost for primary schools, often taking up the entire budget, meaning schools must raise funds for other activities. We proposed that the Department of Education and Science helps schools to tackle risk management, with all schools or groups in a particular region working together. The Department might even allow schools to insure themselves. It is not necessarily the answer but it is one way to tackle the problem because the issue must be addressed. The Government and Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children must overcome the problems with insurance in primary schools to ensure that children are not prevented from playing in school.

Not every child wants to or is able to get involved in sport but play is a form of exercise and it is beneficial in many others ways. It does not have the rigid structure and regulation of sport, it is spontaneous and children learn social skills from it. Exercise is the best way to lose weight and it makes people eat in a more healthy fashion. A child out playing during the summer time is less likely to spend time indoors sitting in front of the television eating a snack.

It is vital that we tackle the play for children issue. If children start exercising and eating well at a young age, many problems can be prevented later in life. If we learn anything from this report, it should be to invest wisely in play.

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