Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the consultations she has had with the Department of Health and Children in relation to the recent evidence of an alarming increase in obesity levels; the specific measures she will take within her Department to deal with the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13013/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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As I have said in responses to Questions in this House in the past, obesity is, I believe, an immensely important issue for the future health of our society and demands a multi-faceted response as indicated in the Report of the National Taskforce on Obesity which made recommendations for cross sectoral actions in areas including education, social and community, health, food supply and the physical environment. The recommendations to my Department have been addressed by way of specific healthy food initiatives which I introduced such as the enhanced promotion of school milk and a new national initiative to promote the consumption by schoolchildren of fruit and vegetables.

In addition, I have consistently encouraged the agri-food industry to maintain its focus on meeting the requirements of health conscious consumers. Food and health have been key themes in research proposals under my Department's public good research FIRM programme and under the Food and Health Research Initiative in which my Department collaborated with the Department of Health and Children.