Written answers
Thursday, 19 April 2018
Department of Health
Health Strategies
Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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78. To ask the Minister for Health the additional resources allocated to community based programmes aimed at healthy food and healthy living as contained in the Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8928/18]
Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Since the launch of Healthy Ireland, expenditure on its implementation from within the budget of the Department of Health has been the following:
| Year | Expenditure |
|---|---|
| 2013 | €89,315 |
| 2014 | €586,470 |
| 2015 | €607,707 |
| 2016 | €1,156,405 |
| 2017 | €996,837 |
| 2018 | €22,307 |
In addition to the expenditure noted above, other expenditure arising within the Department could also be described as "Healthy Ireland" depending on classification. It is not possible to disaggregate this expenditure with respect to obesity alone. The approximate costs associated with both development and publication of the new Health Eating Guidelines & Food Pyramid and the national Obesity Policy & Action Plan were €55,719 and €19,186 respectively. In addition new Nutrition Standards for schools, with an initial focus on school meal programmes funded by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, have also been developed. These Nutrition Standards were published in September 2017. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has informed my Department thatthe total budget for school meals this year is €54m.
Separate to the expenditure detailed above, the Government, in July 2016, approved the creation of a Healthy Ireland Fund and subsequently provided an initial allocation of €5 million in Budget 2017 to kick-start its establishment. The Fund was announced by An Taoiseach on Monday 2 October 2017. €5 million was allocated in Budget 2018.
The Healthy Ireland Fund will help drive the cross-governmental approach as set out in the Healthy Ireland Framework to improve the mental and physical health and wellbeing of the population. The main aim of the Fund is to support innovative, cross-sectoral, evidence based projects, programmes and initiatives that support the implementation of the key national policies in various areas including Obesity and Physical Activity. In particular the Fund will be for projects and programmes aimed at children and young people and their families, and supporting communities and vulnerable groups who are at most risk of experiencing health inequalities.
Finally, as some of the issues raised in the Deputy’s questions are service matters, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
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