James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also decry and deplore the comments made by Karen Bradley. I fail to see how she can ever regain the confidence of nationalists and families of those who suffered during the Troubles. Have we forgotten Bloody Sunday? Have we forgotten the Miami Showband and all the other issues? She needs to consider her position. We decried the actions of a Sinn Féin MP in this House and he later stood down, and we need the same response in this regard.

I wish to raise another issue of national importance, which is the fact that two out of every five of our children are now either obese or overweight. The greatest threat to health in the western world, and in the developing world, is not infection but non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and cancer, and obesity plays a major role in all of them. Last night, however, I heard that Fingal County Council has given planning permission to a 6,000 sq. ft fast-food restaurant with a drive-through facility. It is 50 m across the road from a crèche which is attended by 100 children and 300 m from a primary school with 400 young children. Myriad Government documents underpin policy relate to fighting obesity and I was particularly proud to launch Healthy Ireland. The local authority is ignoring them but it is not just Fingal - they all do it and it is a national issue.

The Ministers for Health and Housing, Planning and Local Government need to issue an edict to all local authorities advising them of Government policy and that these types of development are not appropriate. This is a small neighbourhood shopping centre and there were hundreds of objections from local residents in Skerries, and the Barnageeragh Cove area in particular, because of their concern. I hate to say it but it smacks of the tactics of the tobacco industry in the way the fast-food industry is trying to "get them young and keep them for life." It is a cradle-to-grave approach but we do not want such an approach and if we are going to be serious about a cross-Government coherent strategy to fight what is an epidemic, the Government needs to act accordingly. I hope the Leader will convey this message to the relevant Ministers and I hope they will take action. Otherwise, the issue will come back to this House and the Ministers in question will have to come in to explain themselves.