Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

People who are obese are fat but obesity is still an illness and we must treat it as such. Obesity is at odds with any other disease when it comes to how we treat it. It is that type of attitude that highlights the difficulty in treating this area.

I find it incomprehensible that the Department of Finance does not intend to ring-fence moneys accruing from the sugar tax. Clearly, it is a costing issue and a finance issue as to the reason bariatric treatment cannot be provided to morbidly obese people. We heard a great deal of evidence in that regard. The plastic bag levy was implemented and the proceeds of it were used for environmental initiatives and something similar should be done in respect of this tax. This is a very important issue.