Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I wish to join with my colleague from County Leitrim, Senator Comiskey, in welcoming the recommendations of the constituency commission, in that Leitrim has been reunited politically. I sat on the Government benches, where Senator Comiskey is now, when the previous constituency commission report was debated in this House. During the debate on the previous constituency commission report, I made it clear that if given a free vote I would not support its recommendations because of the shabby treatment of Leitrim by successive Administrations during the past 40 or 50 years. I welcome that this wrong has been corrected. We already have a Deputy in the constituency. It was more a quirk of the electoral system than anything else. The county has now been reunited politically and this should give the people of Leitrim great confidence going forward.

I call on the Leader to ask the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, to take action on the recently published report on large-scale obesity among young people, which is proving to be a matter of great national concern. The report makes for stark reading. Its conclusions are that children as young as three and four years are grossly over weight. While the State does not have any direct involvement in ensuring that parents act responsibly when it comes to providing proper nutrition for their children it does have a role to play in the area of soft drink and crisp manufacturing, the manufacturers of which have managed to ingratiate themselves with school authorities across the country in a variety of different guises by way of promotion of their goods as a healthy option. As stated in the report to which I am referring they are not a healthy option.

The Minister should do all he can to encourage schools and, by extension, parents to take a more responsible attitude to their children's nutrition. Those of us who are parents will know that it is easy to say we should ensure children eat proper food. However, children have their own way of consuming food. They tend to opt for the worst possible options rather than the best ones. I am not for one moment simplifying this issue but I do believe the State - I am sure the Leader will agree with me - should play a role in this regard. I would hate to see this report gathering dust on a shelf. It is not the first on this issue but it is the latest, which points for the first time to the fact that this problem in not so much one among teenagers and adolescents but among children of a very young age.

I ask that the Leader raise this issue with the Minister for Education and Skills given the direct involvement of schools on this issue. If the Minister is willing to attend the House, the Leader might consider providing for a wide ranging debate on healthy eating and living. I accept this may not be relevant to only the Minister for Education and Skills but could also come under the auspices of the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall. The Leader will understand the point I am trying to make. I second the proposed amendment to the Order of Business.