Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the waiting list for St. Columcille's Hospital; the steps she will take to aid St. Columcille's Hospital; the measures she will take to combat obesity here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12083/07]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 724 people on the waiting list for St Columcille's Hospital. A total of €600,000 revenue funding and €70,000 capital funding was provided to St Columcille's Hospital in 2006. This funding allowed the hospital develop modular accommodation to house clinical rooms for obesity services.

This funding also facilitated the recruitment of the following additional staff:

1 × Consultant Endocrinologist

1 × Medical Registrar

1 × Senior Dietician

1 × Psychologist (1/2 time)

1 × Senior Physiotherapist (1/2 time)

1 × Clinical Nurse Specialist

1 × Clerical Officer Grade 1V

All staff with the exception of the Clerical Officer Grade 1V are in place. This position should be filled by end April 2007.

Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004, and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall Vote. The hospital has made a submission to the HSE for funding of €3.5 million to construct a permanent building to house their expanding diabetes and obesity service needs.

The Report of the National Taskforce on Obesity — Obesity the Policy Challenges — was published in 2005 and contained 93 recommendations aimed at tackling overweight and obesity. The HSE has established a Working Group to implement the health sector recommendations of the Task Force on Obesity for which the HSE has the lead responsibility and for which €3 million has been allocated.

The Taskforce recognises that a multi-sectoral approach is necessary, involving other state agencies and Departments and real engagement of the public and private sectors to implement all of the report's recommendations. My Department is currently finalising proposals for the development of a mechanism which will facilitate inter-sectoral working on the prevention of chronic diseases including obesity.

In relation to the surveillance and monitoring of obesity, funding has been provided by the HSE to UCD, to record height and weight in children at school entry point as part of the Lifeways cohort. The development of a national database to monitor prevalence trends of growth, overweight and obesity was also funded. The HSE is working with the Irish Universities Nutritional Alliance, to research food and nutrition in children and its determinants. Funding was also allocated to the Irish Heart Foundation to progress the Action for Life physical activity programme and to undertake a project on marketing of foods to children.

National Guidelines for community based practitioners on prevention and management of childhood overweight and obesity were published and launched in December. Training for primary and community based practitioners on patient centred skills in addressing overweight and obesity was also funded. New growth charts for children were developed.

The Health Service Executive is working with the Community Games Association to integrate Health Promotion as a priority in their strategic plan. This plan addresses nutrition and physical activity as well as other key health promotion topics. The partnership with the Education Sector is progressing. The HSE has also developed a strategic alliance with the Irish Sports Council, and have part-funded the Local Sports Partnerships to promote physical activity.

I am pleased that my Department and the HSE are moving forward with initiatives to prevent obesity and, where necessary, to treat the range of associated illnesses.