Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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244. To ask the Minister for Health if he will work with his colleagues in other Departments to assess the feasibility of introducing fruit and vegetable subsidies targeted at disadvantaged communities, in which obesity levels are almost three times higher than in better off communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17252/17]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to working with other Departments to improve the fruit and vegetable consumption of all school children including those in disadvantaged communities.

A key recommendation in the Obesity Policy and Action Plan - A Healthy Weight for Life, a 10 year action plan launched last September, is the development and implementation of a ‘whole of school’ healthy lifestyle programme, which includes nutrition, incorporating knowledge, skills and greater understanding of environmental factors that influence children and young people.( Action 1.1). To help achieve this the Department is engaging with a range of stakeholders looking at models of good practice.

My Department is already linking in with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on the Food Dudes Programme, a programme that is managed by Bord Bia and receives financial support from the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine and the European Union through the School Fruit Scheme.

Food Dudes encourages children to eat more fruit and vegetables both in school and at home. The Programme has been shown to be effective and results long lasting across the primary age range, regardless of gender, school size, geographic and socio-economic factors.

My Department is also working with the Department of Social Protection developing national Nutrition Standards for their School Meals Local Projects Scheme which provides funding towards provision of food services for disadvantaged school children. This Scheme provides funding directly from the Department of Social Protection to primary schools, secondary schools and local groups and voluntary organisations which operate their own school meals projects.

The School Meals Local Projects Scheme aims to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, by reason of lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided for them. Research has shown that inadequate nutrition impacts negatively on children’s ability to learn and benefit from education. Proper nutrition can improve children’s ability to concentrate, improve disruptive behaviour and encourage children to attend school. The School Meals Local Project is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement by children, particularly those from the most disadvantaged background.