Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are very supportive of the action plan. The Minister of State has been before the House previously to discuss her plan, and what is contained in it makes quite a lot of sense. Some of the figures she has read out are amazing. One in four Irish children is overweight or obese. Two out of three adults are overweight or obese. The cost to the State of overweight and obesity is approximately €1.13 billion annually, directly and indirectly. The WHO has forecast that Ireland will top the European obesity league table in the next few years. As the statics really jump off the page, it is about time a Minister decided to tackle this worsening issue.

Fianna Fáil supports the development of a national plan for physical activity. In this regard, I notice there has been much talk recently about exercise in schools. I have a brother and sister who are PE teachers. It is amazing how certain habits start at home. The number of kids who come to PE class with notes and have excuses to try to opt out of PE is very frightening and has become a greater problem over the past number of years. Parents must examine this and take it seriously. There are evidently certain circumstances and cases in which people, for whatever reason, may not be able to swim or engage in a certain physical activity, but this seems to be becoming more prevalent. Schools play a very important role in tackling this because school is where many of our younger people either will or will not get a grá for physical activity. This is a very important starting point.

Fianna Fáil wants a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, as we have proposed previously. It would generate approximately €60 million in revenue. Fianna Fáil wants to see an expanded prohibition of TV advertising of high-salt and high-sugar foods, as the Minister of State will be aware, and as we have discussed. We also wish to promote active travel, such as cycling lanes and safe walking routes to school, among the population generally. We had started to roll this out and, in fairness, it has been continued by Fine Gael over the past number of years. We wish to target resources at schools and communities of lower socioeconomic standing. In this regard, better education in particular will be very important. So many foods can be so much cheaper and easier to use. The easier option may not be cheaper, as we could prove by examining the cost of much fresh fruit and so on but it does not end up being cheaper as in the long run, it will cost the State a lot of money. Education on food and exercise is therefore a very important tool. There is no national standard to measure what food is healthy, tasty or nutritional in secondary schools. Primary level is also very weak in this regard. Fianna Fáil wants specific planning protocols to create no-fry zones in the vicinity of schools. I remember from my time on the council that schools were always taken into consideration when it came to public houses, bookmakers and fast food outlets but it amazes me nowadays to see some fast food outlets are getting planning permission in close proximity to schools. It really is incredible. This is a very important area as well.

Fianna Fáil is disappointed that the issue of vending machines in schools was not examined. If there are to be vending machines for snacks, what could be included in them? Again, fresh fruit and better options are a must in any vending machine in a school. This would have to be implemented. We wish to see the school meals programme extended in disadvantaged schools and non-DEIS areas. As we know, immense work has been done on the DEIS areas over the past number of years but many schools teeter on eligibility for DEIS status and the roll-out of proper meals in these disadvantaged areas would be a great help.

Some of the figures the Minister of State has read out have been shocking. As I said, one could mull through the different figures and facts all day and one after another would cause surprise. In this regard, Fianna Fáil has been happy to support the action plan. We talked about it in the House the other day as well. The Minister of State has our support. I hope she will take into consideration the few recommendations and alterations we propose regarding the involvement of schools and exercise, vending machines in schools and education on foods. These are very important. As for the marketing and advertising end of things and what can be done in that regard, we believe a sugar tax is a prudent way forward. It has been talked about for quite a while and has been kicked around but we believe now is the time. It could be rolled out on a small scale and see how it goes from there. We saw even in the past few days the problems caffeine drinks and added-sugar drinks have caused, with the death of a young chap very recently. We believe this is an area that must be clamped down on. The reality is that younger people are being told lies through marketing and advertising campaigns, such as the advertisements for a drink that says it gives you wings and all sorts of rubbish.

We appreciate the Minister of State's presence. She has been a big advocate of this since her first day and, indeed, we talked about it I think on St. Stephen's Day or the day after when we met in the studio of Radio 3. She spoke about the roll-out of it then and she has been good to her word.