Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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36. To ask the Minister for Health the initiatives he intends to undertake to deal with serious obesity levels here. [39922/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Comprehensive, multi-level approaches are required to address the obesity epidemic. For this reason the Minister for Health has established a Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO) whom he meets with regularly to progress the obesity prevention agenda. SAGO is concentrating on a range of measures and initiatives to help reverse the growing prevalence of obesity in the Irish population.

Calorie posting has already commenced in a number of establishments and it is envisaged that in the coming months, when the necessary implementation mechanism has been devised it will be further implemented. There is strong support for the calorie posting in restaurants initiative among the general public and also, in fact, within much of the food industry itself.

Healthy Eating Guidelines were launched in 2012 which will help inform people about the food and drink choices required for a healthy lifestyle and set out in plain and simple language the food servings the Irish population need to consume to maintain health and wellbeing.

A Health Impact Assessment on the health and economic aspects of introducing a Sugar Sweetened Drinks taxwas completed and presented to the Minister for Health and SAGO has recently established a sub-committee to investigate and develop a range of options to support healthy eating.

The Department of Health has worked with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, with regard to the marketing of food and drink to children towards a new Children's Code up to 18 years, to restrict marketing of high fat, high salt and high sugar foods and drinks up to 7pm.

Treatment algorithms inform primary care staff of the steps to be taken with regard to managing obesity. Both 'adult' and 'child' algorithms have been agreed with health care professionals and are now available.

Research is underway in association with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to establish the use and types of foods and drinks stocked in vending machines in post primary schools. SAGO has met with The Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII).

A key feature of the development of Healthy Ireland was engagement and collaboration across Government Departments. Such collaboration will continue to be a significant feature of the implementation strategy, which is now focused on, among other things, the development of an outcomes framework and a National Physical Activity Plan.