Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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807. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 788 and 789 of 17 February 2021, the status of the evaluation currently underway of the sugar-sweetened drinks tax; when details of the tax are due to be completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11347/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Tax was introduced on 1 May 2018, and has thus now been in operation for nearly three years. The introduction of the tax was an important action in the Obesity Policy and Action Plan, with the aims of reducing consumption of added sugar in drinks and encouraging reformulation of products by the drinks industry.

Initial indications are that the tax has had a positive impact, particularly in terms of encouraging drinks producers to reduce the sugar content in their products. However, a more comprehensive analysis of the impact of the tax is needed.

The first step in this process was to look at existing examples that could inform the methodology to assess the impacts of the tax. This work is underway. Allied to this, information has been gathered on existing datasets that could be analysed as part of the assessment of the impact of the tax. The literature review and data scoping exercise will enable the Department to make an assessment of the potential approaches to evaluate the impact of the tax and the timelines and resources required for the evaluation.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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808. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 788 and 789 of 17 February 2021, when the obesity policy and action plan will be reviewed in 2021; the process for same; if his Department will be meeting stakeholders or undertaking a consultation process in relation to same; the timeline for the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11348/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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A Healthy Weight for Ireland’, the Obesity Policy and Action Plan (OPAP), was launched in September 2016 as part of the Healthy Ireland Framework. The OPAP covers a 10-year period up to 2025 and aims to reverse obesity trends, prevent health complications and reduce the overall burden for individuals, families, the health system, and the wider society and economy. The Plan contains a total of 60 actions organised under the themes of “Ten Steps Forward”. The final action, Action 10.11, is to “Conduct a mid-term review of the Obesity Policy and Action Plan”.

There are a number of pieces of work which will inform the mid-term review of the Obesity Policy and Action Plan. An Implementation Progress Report on the actions within the Plan was published in February 2021. A Strategic Action Plan for the wider Healthy Ireland Framework, covering the years 2021-2025 is nearing completion and is expected to be finalised in Q1 2021. The development of the Strategic Action Plan involved an extensive consultation process with stakeholders. An evaluation of the OPAP is also being carried out by the Health Research Board Centre for Health and Diet Research, University College Cork and it is expected that this will be available in the second quarter of 2021. All of these will feed into and inform the process of the review, and the Obesity Policy Implementation and Oversight Group will also provide input. It is expected that the review will be completed before the end of 2021.