Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1130. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which action 1.4 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland will be advanced; the status of the provision of potable water in all learning centres; if a national audit has taken place of learning centres in respect of the availability of potable water; if not, if this will be done as a matter of priority; the consultation his officials have had with the Department of Education and Skills in this regard; the cost of providing potable water in all learning centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20828/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1131. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which action 1.8 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland will be advanced; the status of proposals on the roll out of evidence based fiscal measures to support healthy eating and lifestyles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20830/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1132. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which action 1.10 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland will be advanced; the status of the evidence review for fiscal measures on products that are high in fat, sugar and salt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20831/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1133. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which action 2.1 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland will be advanced; the status of the development of guidelines and support materials for those working in developing the built environment for urban development and planning in relation to reducing the obesogenic environment; the timeline for same; the consultation he has had with other Departments in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20832/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1134. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to undertake an audit of the built environment infrastructure and facilities available to schools and learning centres as part of the roll out of the National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland; the consultation which has taken place with his Department and other Departments in this regard; if his attention has been drawn to the results of a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20833/17]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1136. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which action 10.2 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland is being advanced; the status of the implementation of a nutrition health surveillance system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20836/17]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1130 to 1134, inclusive, and 1136 together.

In September 2016 Minister Harris and I launched “A Healthy Weight for Ireland Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016 – 2025”.The key themes of the Policy are Prevention, Care and Management, and Research and Data with the overall aim of reversing the rising levels of overweight and obesity. The World Health Organisation has set a global target to halt the rise in obesity by 2025. “A Healthy Weight for Ireland”will cover the ten year period until 2025 and sets targets to be achieved and actions that will produce measurable outcomes. Twenty priority actions have been identified and work has commenced on the implementation of the majority of those priority actions already. The timeframes for the other actions will operate over the lifespan of the policy which is 2016 - 2025.

Some specifics regarding actions which the Deputy has requested information on are as follows:

Action 1.4 - The Department of Health, in collaboration with the HSE is working with the Department of Education and Skills on the development of a 'whole of school' healthy lifestyle programme. This approach includes schools curriculum, policies, environment and working with parents and the community. Potable water provision is an integral part in policies pertaining to nutrition, physical activity and wellbeing of children. My Department does not have a direct function in relation to rolling out initiatives in school settings as this is a matter for the Minister for Education and Skills. However both Departments are in discussion on how best to progress measures relating to healthy lifestyles in the school setting.

Action 1.8 - My Department has published a paper regarding a levy on Sugar Sweetened Drinks - "Introducing a Tax on Sugar Sweetened Drinks - Health Rationale, Options and Recommendations," which is available on the Department's website and which will support the Department of Finances' budget proposals to introduce a Sugar Sweetened Drinks levy in 2018 and which is contained in the Programme for Government.

Action 1.10 - An amount of work has been undertaken and is ongoing in relation to the evidence review of fiscal measures on products that are high in fat, sugar and salt. The Institute of Public Health is currently reviewing patterns of sugar sweetened drinks consumption as a contribution to this work. This Department will continue research in this area including on factors that may influence behaviour change relating to diet.

Action 2.1 - Drafting has already commenced on potential terms of reference for the establishment of a working group to develop a set of guidelines in relation to the built environment. The group will comprise relevant Government Departments, The Health Services Executive, County and City Councils, Academics and Professional Bodies among others.

The National Physical Activity Plan also contains a number of actions in relation to the built environment, including the development of guidelines and a programme of continuous professional development for those working in the built environment to promote the importance of physical activity. However, the undertaking of an audit of schools and learning centres would be a matter for the Department of Education and Skills as my Department does not have responsibility for school infrastructure and development.

Action 10.2 - Certain preparatory work has been undertaken with regard to the requirements in relation to nutritional health surveillance. Public health surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data for use in planning, implementation and evaluation of public health practice. The annual Healthy Ireland Survey is among the activities undertaken by the Department to enhance the range of reliable information available to it. The Survey was commissioned to enhance data collection and monitoring capacity in the implementation of Healthy Ireland. The survey results include information on diet and nutrition including data on eating habits, the consumption of fruit and vegetables, the consumption of snacks and sugar sweetened drinks, and the use of folic acid supplements. This is being utilised to advance our knowledge and understanding of the Obesity problem.

Two waves of the Survey have been published, and are available at: . A third report will be published later this year.