Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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721. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 840 of 5 July 2022, if he will give a date for when the evaluation of the obesity policy and action plan undertaken by University College Cork will be published; when his Department will respond to the evaluation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51360/22]

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 under the auspices of the Healthy Ireland Framework (Healthy Ireland: A Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013-2025). It was developed in recognition of the growing need for a co-ordinated policy response to the increasing problem of obesity in Ireland and the increasing burden placed on individuals and society.

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. It recognises that obesity is a complex, multi-faceted problem and needs a multi-pronged solution, with every sector of society playing its part. Childhood obesity is a key priority under OPAP, as is reducing the inequalities seen in obesity rates, where children (and adults) from lower socioeconomic groups have higher levels of obesity.

Implementation of the OPAP is overseen by a cross-sectoral and cross-Departmental group, the Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group (OPIOG) chaired by the Department of Health and established in October 2017.

An independent evaluation and evidence review was carried out in 2020/2021 by the School of Public Health, UCC, covering the period 2016 to 2021. A review of the OPAP is currently underway which examines key actions as set out in the Ten Steps in the OPAP, considers the results of the independent Evaluation and Evidence Review conducted by the School of Public Health, UCC (2022) and reviews further implementation of OPAP since the period covered by the UCC work. This Review is nearing completion and is expected to be finalised and published in the coming weeks. The evaluation and evidence review carried out by UCC will be published alongside the OPAP Review.