Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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461. To ask the Minister for Health the initiatives to deal with obesity that have been taken in past ten years; the programmes or proposed programmes to deal with this problem being rolled out; if a specific budget is being set aside for this purpose. [4788/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The National Task Force on Obesity completed its work in 2005. An Inter-Sectoral Group on Obesity, comprising relevant Government Departments and key stake-holders, was established early in 2009 to oversee and monitor implementation of the Task Force recommendations. Its report, published in April 2009, detailed the progress made on each of the 93 recommendations. It showed that significant progress was made in the case of 32% of the recommendations, partial implementation occurred on 31%, action progressed on a further 28%, leaving 9% where little progress was reported.

Since 2009 work on initiatives to tackle obesity is continuing and progress has been made in a number of key areas:

- A suite of guidelines and algorithms e.g. guidelines for treatment of adults with the ICGP, guidelines for treatment of Children with the Faculty of Paediatrics and the ICGP, Guidelines for before, during and after pregnancy in conjunction with the Faculty for Obstetrics and Gynaecology & ICGP. Currently the HSE is developing the last of these guidelines which looks at men between the ages of 35 and 65.

- Development of Physical Activity Plan for Ireland and the development of a "one stop shop" website for physical activity (www.getirelandactive.ie) in conjunction with Department of Health, Department of Education and Skills, Department of Transport, Department of Environment, Department of Sport, Representatives of the County Managers, Academic Institutions and the Irish Sports Council.

- Development of Healthy Eating Guidelines and food pyramid.

- Setting up Research and Surveillance Systems e.g. Growing Up in Ireland and the Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative.

- Social Marketing Campaigns in conjunction with safefood e.g. Little Steps, Stop the Spread and the three multimedia childhood obesity campaign.

In 2011 the then Minister for Health established the Special Action Group on Obesity (SAGO), comprising representatives from Department of Health, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, The Department of Education and Skills, the Health Service Executive, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Safefood to examine and progress a number of issues to address the problem of obesity.

Progress has been made on the Healthy Eating guidelines, Calories on Menus initiative and the Report on Recommendations to reduce consumption of high fat, salt and sugar foods and drinks from the Top Shelf of the Food Pyramid. Treatment algorithms are available for those in Primary Care health services. Arising out of the Irish Presidency of the EU an Action Plan on Childhood Obesity has been developed and Ireland is playing a key role in this initiative. In relation to funding:

- The HSE grant aids a number of organisations and voluntary bodies to help in reducing obesity in Ireland in a more targeted way e.g. Healthy Food For All, Irish Heart Foundation, Irish Cancer Society, Special Olympics, Community Games, Local Sports Partnerships and Diabetes Federation of Ireland.

- Providing funding for treatment of obese individuals and hence the establishment of adult obesity treatment centres (including Bariatric surgery) and one paediatric treatment centre.

- The HSE does not have a financial system that indicates clearly the level of funding for obesity but the HSE confirms that it employs Endocrinologists, Paediatricians, Surgeons, Allied Health Professionals (Physiotherapists, Physical Activity Co-ordinators, Dieticians, Health Promotion Officers), Public Health Nurses, Practice Nurses, Psychologists and Family Therapists. They all have an implied responsibility for treatment and prevention of overweight and obesity.