Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I am responding to Senator Mooney on the Adjournment on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank the Senator for raising this important matter because it has given me an opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Health and Children on it. Senator Mooney outlined succinctly and clearly the issues which arise from the quality and range of food available to children in our affluent society.

When the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power, met representatives of the National Heart Alliance on 30 November last, he discussed with them the report mentioned by the Senator, Position Paper on Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children. The Minister of State advised the alliance that as part of the UK Presidency of the EU, a nutrition policy development group met specifically to discuss the issue of food promotion and marketing to children. The group was asked to consider possible restrictions on food advertising and promotion and to identify potential areas for action at community, member state or industry levels. The Department is awaiting the report which will feed back to the European Union's Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and inform future policy making in EU member states.

At a national level the report of the national taskforce on obesity which was launched earlier this year reported that the media is one of the most popular vehicles through which consumers receive information and is powerful in influencing food selection and health behaviours. Senator Mooney also referred to the widespread new emerging forms of media.

Foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt attracted most of the €132 million spend on advertising in Ireland in 2003. Many young children, especially those under the age of six, have difficulty understanding that advertising is a tool used to sell products; it is not until children approach the age of 12 that most are able to comprehend the purpose of advertising.

Promotion of food products takes cognisance of the fact that children are attracted by foods in bright packaging and those accompanied by free gifts or promoted by cartoon characters. Processed foods like chocolates, crisps, soft drinks, pre-sugared breakfast cereals and fastfood meals that are high in salt, sugar or fat are among the most heavily-promoted, especially on television, but are usually the ones that dietary guidelines emphasise should be eaten the least. Young children are often the target group for the advertising of these products for the simple reason that they have a significant influence on foods bought by parents.

A report from the WorId Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in 2003 concluded that the aggressive marketing of these types of food and drinks to young children could increase their risk of becoming obese. Part of the consistent, strong relationships between television viewing and obesity in children may relate to the food advertising to which they are exposed.

The report of the national taskforce on obesity contains 93 recommendations which relate to actions across six broad sectors, namely, high-level government, education, social and community, health food commodities, production and supply and the physical environment. Recommendations made in relation to marketing include: Ireland should play an advocacy role within the European Union to reform policies relating to healthy eating and active living among those that govern activities relating to global trade; the regulation of marketing and advertising of food to children; the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Health and Children, together with the private sector and consumer groups, should immediately take multisectoral action on the marketing and advertising of products that contribute to weight gain, in particular those aimed at children; and a national, regularly reviewed code of practice must be developed in regard to industry sponsorship and funding of activities in schools and local communities.

An implementation plan for this report is being developed by the Department of Health and Children and will involve all relevant stakeholders. Additional funding of €3 million has been made available to the Health Service Executive in the Book of Estimates to support the implementation of the report's recommendations.