Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action which has been taken or it is intended to take arising from the recommendations of the report of the task force on obesity in so far as they relate to her Department's areas of responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26454/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the publication of the report of the national task force on obesity and I acknowledge the need for a long-term sustained commitment from relevant Departments, agencies and food industry stakeholders to tackle the obesity crisis. My Department is fully committed to engaging in this process and it made a comprehensive submission to the task force setting out the Department's role and responsibilities in the areas of food safety and quality and funding public good research in the food sector. Officials from my Department have met the Department of Health and Children to discuss the report in general terms and to consider the specific recommendations directed at my Department, namely, "the Department of Agriculture and Food should review policies in partnership with other government departments to promote access to healthy food. Such policies should encompass positive discrimination in the provision of grants and funding to local industry in favour of healthy products" and "the Department of Agriculture and Food together with the Department of Health and Children should promote the implementation of evidence-based healthy eating interventions". As I indicated in previous replies, positive discrimination in the provision of grants and funding to local industry in favour of healthy products envisages a form of subsidisation that is not permissible under EU state aid rules and could be challenged on competition grounds.

As regards the second recommendation, Bord Bia, the statutory food promotion agency, through my Department secured approval from the European Commission in June to fund a programme to promote consumption of fruit and vegetables in up to 150 primary schools over the next three years. The programme is based on a concept known as "Food Dude" and was developed by researchers at the Bangor food research unit at the University of Wales. It is designed to encourage schoolchildren to develop a liking for fruit and vegetables by means of customised rewards for eating fruit and vegetables, role model encouragement and the active participation of parents and teachers. The budget of €1.2 million is being co-funded by the European Commission, €600,000, my Department, €240,000, and €360,000 from Wholesale Produce Ireland Ltd., a representative body for the fresh produce industry in Ireland. Bord Bia will manage the programme and recently concluded a contract with my Department to implement the measures. The programme will be launched this week. My Department is examining the possibilities for further initiatives in partnership with the Department of Health and Children.

Question No. 182 answered with QuestionNo. 148.