Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone back to the House for this term. Today's edition of the Irish Examinerreports on the publication of an audit of food offered in canteens in six schools. The idea of food being available in schools was designed to promote healthy eating but the survey indicates food is being offered that does not represent health eating. Items such as chips and muffins have been introduced partly because the companies providing the service are not making a profit from promoting healthy eating items of food. This is a worrying trend when we want to decrease the level of obesity but we find it is increasing among our young people every year. If schools are not able to deliver in this area, we face a major challenge. The audit was carried out in six schools by the school of public health in UCD. It is an interesting study and it sounds alarm bells about this issue. We need to ask the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education and Skills to co-operate to ensure this trend does not continue and to work out a plan for healthy eating and encourage young people to buy into it.

There is a related issue concerning medical practice in that GPs are reluctant to raise the issue of obesity with parents whose children are clearly overweight. We need to ensure this healthcare issue is not let drift and it needs to be dealt with immediately. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Health.