Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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162. To ask the Minister for Health if the Government will consider supporting healthier choices in the workplace with the introduction of initiatives to incentivise companies to support the health and wellbeing of staff as part of its healthy Ireland framework to improve the health and wellbeing of persons here (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33995/16]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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There is a growing interest in and understanding internationally of the contribution healthy workplaces can make to healthier societies and the benefits of this to business both in terms of more productive workforces and the ability to attract and retain the best employees.

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers workplace health programmes as one of the best-buy options for prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and for mental health. Such programmes can help achieving the WHO objective of reducing the avoidable deaths of NCDs and the burden of mental ill health and to protect and promote health at the workplace.

My Department, with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, is leading a subgroup to develop a National Healthy Workplace Framework. This work primarily involves development of a framework to encourage and support the development of Health and Wellbeing programmes in all places of employment. The objective is to support employers to develop individual, practical plans identifying how they will protect and promote the physical, mental and social wellbeing of their employees, within the context of their own size, sector, location, number of employees, etc.

There are schemes currently in place which support and encourage employees to make healthier choices, such as the Taxsaver Commuter Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme and the Smarter Travel Workplaces public awareness programme.

In addition, the workplace wellbeing element of the Health and Wellbeing (Calorie posting and workplace wellbeing) Bill which is in development will require all public sector workplaces to have and report on a healthy workplace policy.