Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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170. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1136 of 9 September 2021, if he will provide an update on strategic action 1.4 of the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025, to establish a second Healthy Ireland Council; the actions that have been taken to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62014/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025 sets out in strategic action 1.4, under Governance and Policy for Healthy Ireland, to “Establish a second Healthy Ireland Council to provide intersectoral leadership to implement actions to realise the strategic outcomes of Healthy Ireland”. In the timeframe for implementation actions, between 2021 and 2023, the plan also sets out a commitment to “Set out the terms of reference and the appropriate membership of the Healthy Ireland Council and convene the Council”.

It is expected that a second Healthy Ireland Council will be established and will convene within the timeframe set out in the Strategic Action Plan.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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171. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide details, including the names, grades and Department of members, as well as external representatives of, the recently established Food Reformulation Task Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62015/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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“A Roadmap for Food Product Reformulation in Ireland” was launched on 3rd December 2021 by Minister Donnelly and myself. The establishment of a Food Reformulation Task Force to implement the Roadmap was also announced. The publication of the Reformulation Roadmap fulfils a key element of the Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025 and of the Sláintecare Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025. It was prepared by the Reformulation Sub-Group of the Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group (OPIOG).

As stated in the Roadmap, the Food Reformulation Task Force will be situated within the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The position of Task Force Lead has been advertised and further recruitment will follow. As also stated in the Roadmap, the Task Force will be overseen by an Oversight and Monitoring Group chaired by the Principal Officer of the Health and Wellbeing Programme, Department of Health, and will include representatives of the Department, FSAI and OPIOG.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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172. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on Get Ireland Active - the National Physical Activity Plan; the status of the review of the policy; when a successor will be put in place; the process for putting a new policy together; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62016/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The promotion of physical activity has been a priority for my Department in the context of the implementation of Healthy Ireland, A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013 – 2025, and, more recently, the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan.

This was evidenced by the publication of Get Ireland Active - the National Physical Activity Plan(NPAP); 2016-2020 (now extended to 2022). The National Sports Policy(NSP) was published by our colleagues in DTCAGSM (then DTTAS), in 2018. The two policies are being implemented in co-ordination, with Healthy Ireland represented on the Sports Leadership Group and DTCAGSM co-chairing the NPAP Implementation Group.

NPAP implementation is overseen by a cross-sectoral Implementation Group co-chaired by the Departments of Health and Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The Departments of Education (DE), Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth (DCEDIY), Housing, Local Government & Heritage (DHLGH), and Rural & Community Development (DRCD) are also represented, along with Sport Ireland, the HSE, the Federation of Irish Sport, the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) and the academic sector. The Sports Leadership Group, chaired by Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers T.D., also has cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary representation.

The NPAP contains 60 actions intended to promote increased physical activity levels across the population, divided into 8 Action Areas. Key initiatives underway include support for the Active School Flag programme, and key initiatives, supported by Healthy Ireland through Sport Ireland, to support walking, running, cycling, swimming, outdoor recreation and collaboration with the research sector through Ireland's Physical Activity Research Collaboration (iPARC).

Implementation of the current Physical Activity Plan was to be reviewed in 2020; however, this was delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The policy has been extended to end 2022. Work has now begun on the review, with a number of stakeholder consultations held in recent weeks. The findings from these meetings and from the external review will inform the future direction of the next iteration of the NPAP.

Independent expertise, to conduct an impartial review of the progress made in implementation of the Plan, has been sought through a standard procurement process, in collaboration with the Office of Government Procurement. This process is almost complete and it is envisaged that the reviewers will commence work in Q1, 2022.

The external reviewers will develop, finalise and present a draft report to the National Physical Activity Implementation Group, which will include the review of implementation, analysis of policy and research materials and national and international guidelines and stakeholder feedback, and will inform the development of the next phase of the NPAP, including measurable actions. Once complete, the Review Report will be published on the Department's website.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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173. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on actions arising from Action 2.1 of A Healthy Weight for Ireland the Obesity Policy and Action Plan since the stakeholder forum was held on 21 November 2018; the steps that are being taken by the physical activity group and the Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group to progress this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62017/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Connect, Collaborate, Create; Co-Designing Healthier Communities, A Healthy Ireland Stakeholder Forum on the Built Environment, was held on November 21st 2018, in the National Indoor Arena. The Forum was managed by the Departments of Health, Transport Tourism and Sport (DTTAS, now DTCAGSM) and Housing Planning and Local Government (now DHLGH) and Sport Ireland.

Both the National Physical Activity Plan Implementation Group (NPAP IG) and the Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group (OPIOG) were represented at the Forum, which brought together those with responsibility for planning and developing public spaces with those who have expertise regarding the impacts of the built and natural environments on health and wellbeing, sport and physical activity, obesity and mental health, with the objective of examining how our physical environment can impact on health and wellbeing.

Progress has been made in a variety of different areas since the Forum was held, and it is envisaged that this progress will continue. These developments include:

- A number of meetings, involving representatives of DHealth, DTTAS and DHPLG were held, following the Forum in 2019, to discuss the outcomes and the best ways of progressing these.

- The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets, originally published in 2013, was updated in 2019, accompanied by additional advice and a new website, www.dmurs.ie

- Implementation of the objectives of the NPF is supported by a €2 billion Urban Regeneration and Development fund (URDF) in the period to 2027. There were 87 successful applications supported in Round 1 of the Fund.

- An inter-Departmental Advisory Group, Town Centre First, was established by DHLGH in late 2020; the NPAP Implementation Group is represented by the Department of Health co-Chair.

- The Department of Rural and Community Development approved funding of €10.2 million for 153 projects under the 2019 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme towards the development of trails, walkways, cycleways, greenways, blueways and mountain access routes.

- Sport Ireland supported the development of Blueways (recreation on or near water) in RoI and NI, through the Blueway Partnership in 2019

- Sport Ireland carried out 247 walking and cycling trail assessments and inspections in 2019, and also delivered 7 training courses aimed at supporting the development of walking and cycling infrastructure countrywide;

- Sport Ireland published a number of guidelines in 2019, including the Great Outdoors – An Accessibility Guideline for Outdoor Areas in collaboration with the Irish Wheelchair Association and CARA, and the revised and updated Criteria for Walking Trail Development in Ireland in 2019.

- Sport Ireland, co-funded by Healthy Ireland, are progressing the development of a National Amenities Database, with will allow people to identify outdoor recreational amenities in their areas. The Trails Database is currently accessible, with full launch planned for 2023.

- In round three of the Healthy Ireland Fund a theme, ‘Spaces and Places for Health and Wellbeing’ was included for Local Community Development Committees of Local Authorities to put forward activities. Activities including the implementation of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland’s ‘Town and Village Toolkit’ were supported by the fund under this theme.

- As part of the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme, a Community Enhancement Fund of €4.75m was made available for projects to be carried out in the 19 Communities. Some of the funded projects include improvements to make walkways and trails more accessible, outdoor exercise equipment and play areas for children.

Further progress in this area will be pursued in line with the commitments in the Programme for Government, and through the reviews of the National Physical Activity Plan and the Obesity Policy and Action Plan.

Implementation of the current Physical Activity Plan was to be reviewed in 2020; however, this was delayed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The policy has been extended to end 2022. Work has now begun on the review, with a number of stakeholder consultations held in recent weeks. The findings from these meetings and from the external review will inform the future direction of the next iteration of the NPAP. The Review of the Obesity Policy and Action Plan will proceed upon the receipt of an evaluation of the OPAP being carried out by the Centre for Health and Diet Research, UCC, which is expected in the coming weeks.