Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022 is currently being prepared. I know I will get feedback on this but I will be calling on Dublin City Council and the other three Dublin authorities to consider the implementation of a no-fry zone. Chip shops near schools are targeting children with value deals after school or during the school lunch break. We have a serious obesity crisis. Although I would not suggest businesses which already exist in such locations should have to close, ideally, when we are planning, we should plan that there would be no chip shops close to schools. Some 25% of 11 year olds are obese. While I do not claim that this measure would solve the problem, it would go some way to help. If we do not implement things like a sugar tax and if we do not take these small measures, which added together would improve this situation, then we are not taking the problem seriously enough.