Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of the 22 recommendations outlined in the Report of the National Task Force on Obesity 2005 relating to his Department that have been put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25916/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Considerable progress has been made by my Department on the relevant recommendations in the Report on the National Task Force on Obesity. Schools have worked on devising healthy lunches policies as part of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) and Physical Education (PE). The Post-Primary School Development Planning Initiative has a number of activities in place to promote healthy living in schools. The SPHE Support Service offers support for policy development which includes Healthy Eating policies. The Primary Curriculum Support Programme and the School Development Planning Support have prepared planning templates (with prompts) for schools to assist them in school planning for the implementation of the PE Curriculum and the wider aspects of physical activity and school sport. In addition to the activities carried out by SDPI which I have outlined, programmes at post-primary level provided by the Social Personal and Health Education Support Service, the Junior Cycle Physical Education Support Service include a section on health-related activities, as does the Home Economics Support Service, which focuses on the Leaving Certificate syllabus. The majority of schools currently participating in the School Completion Programme operate breakfast clubs or other meal provision, in accordance with the Nutritional Guidelines issued by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

In April 2007, the National Educational Welfare Board launched its equipment sponsorship of Cumann na mBunscol, which aims to promote the importance of sport in school life. A special PE funding package of €6.5 million issued in 2006 to primary schools, and in 2007 a similar package of €3 million issued to post-primary schools. Following the success of the pilot scheme, the Department of Agriculture and Food decided to rollout the Food Dudes programme on a national basis. The programme will be rolled out to approximately 625 schools each year over a 5 year period and it is intended that every primary school in the country will be offered Food Dudes over this time. The first wave of the national rollout began in April 2007 with a reduced block of 72 schools and from September 2007, 125 schools have been invited to participate in the programme at any one time. The subjects Social, Personal and Health Education and Physical Education, cover, among elements of the syllabus, the areas of healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, physical health, body care, exercise, relaxation and diet. They are evaluated in schools by the inspectorate, using indicators specific to primary and to second-level schools as appropriate. In the development of Whole School Evaluation, the inspectorate has sought to ensure that its inspection processes support the full implementation of SPHE at both primary and second-level.