John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she expects to finalise a strategy to tackle childhood obesity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15849/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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One of the key objectives of my Department is to collaborate with stakeholders in monitoring and promoting the physical wellbeing of children and young people and reducing inequalities. The Government has prioritised action to tackle childhood obesity. This requires a cross-departmental, cross-agency and multi-faceted response, from all relevant Government Departments and Agencies, including my own.

The Department of Health has established Special Action Group on Obesity, which includes a range of relevant stakeholders, including an Official my Department. This Group focuses on a specific range of measures including Healthy Eating Guidelines, restricting the marketing of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt to children, nutritional labelling, calorie posting on restaurant menus, the detection and treatment of obesity and the promotion of physical exercise.

My Department has a key leadership role to play in the latter through overseeing the implementation of the national play and recreation polices. Over the past few years, significant investments have been made in play and recreational facilities and a number of important initiatives have also been launched. Among these are National Recreation Week and National Play Day, both of which are aimed at promoting play and recreation and encouraging children and young people to lead less sedentary lifestyles. More recently, a Local Authority Play and Recreation Network was established. This Network brings together (for the first time) relevant staff from the local authority sector who are involved in the provision of play and recreation services to local communities. A key initial aim of this Network will be to examine the most effective means of promoting existing facilities to the public. While the prevention of obesity is not the sole focus of the Network, inevitably its work feeds in to the national policy agenda in this area.

Other cross-agency or cross-government initiatives include the HSE's 'Little Steps' Campaign and 'Get Ireland Active' website, the Department of Education and Skills 'Active School Flag Campaign' and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine 'Food Dude Programme'. I also understand the Department of Environment, Communities and Local Government are giving active consideration to including policies on promoting healthier and more child-friendly communities, including regulating the proliferation of fast-food outlets, as part of new national planning guidance to be published next year.

Alone no single initiative can tackle the issue of childhood obesity, but combined, they should make a difference. My Department has also published important research on overweight and obesity among children in Ireland. This research, which is drawn from Growing Up in Ireland, the National Longitudinal Study of Children can provide further guidance on where we should continue to focus our efforts.