Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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536. To ask the Minister for Health if he has considered the possibility of introducing a sugar tax on food stuffs with a high-sugar content; the potential health benefits to persons by reducing their intake of refined sugar; and the potential revenue to the Exchequer by introducing such a tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28355/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Consideration has in the past been given to the introduction of a levy on Sugar Sweetened Drinks. In 2012 the Department commissioned a Health Impact Assessment of a sugar sweetened drinks levy, which concluded that, "price increases tend to decrease demand but the degree to which this happens is variable because consumer behaviour and industry response to tax is difficult to predict". Subsequent to this the European Region of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has recently published a document on the experience of other European countries and showed a mixed picture. In some countries this is viewed as income generation and has no impact on consumption but in others the early indications suggest a reduction in consumption of sugar sweetened drinks. This matter is being kept under review. An Obesity Policy and Action Plan is currently under development and will address a broad range of measures to reduce the level of overweight and obesity in Ireland.