Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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939. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the progress made to date on the Obesity Action Plan committed to in the Programme for Government; when specific actions are expected to flow from the plan; if she will conduct stakeholder engagement and consultation as part of her plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52121/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The current 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).

OPAP covers a 10-year period up to 2025 and the overall aim is to reverse obesity trends, prevent health complications, and reduce the impact of overweight and obesity on health outcomes 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. OPAP is well aligned with the World Health Organisation in terms of the breadth of policy measures that have been introduced or are being considered in order to address the obesity epidemic.

Under OPAP, Ireland put in place a comprehensive, cross-Government strategy to address obesity and overweight. Since 2016 significant progress has been made in delivering on the Ten Step Programme of OPAP and to drive policy initiatives and actions, ranging from health promotion and education initiatives and obesity prevention measures through to establishing services to treat and manage obesity within the health care system. A mid-term evaluation was carried out by UCC which covered the period 2016 to May 2021 which examined implementation and progress on delivery of the actions under the OPAP. Separately, an internal review of the Obesity Policy Action Plan was published by the Department in November 2022 which provided an update on the status of some of the main deliverables in the Ten Steps suite of population-health approaches of the OPAP. The Department has also published annual OPAP Progress Reports, at: www.gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/policy-information/addressing-obesity/

The current OPAP runs through to the end of 2025 and a successor Obesity Policy and Action Plan will be due at the beginning of 2026. The Department is in the process of preparing the next OPAP. In January the Department held a workshop with Government departments, agencies, public health bodies, advocacy groups and academics to identify some of the key themes to consider as part of the development of the next OPAP. Another workshop was held in May with officials from other Government departments in attendance, with focus groups and interviews with various key stakeholders have been held throughout the year.

On the 7th of August, Healthy Ireland launched a public consultation for the new obesity strategy. The consultation was an opportunity for members of the public, stakeholder groups and organisations to share their experience, observations and proposals for a new obesity policy for Ireland. The consultation closed on September 18th, and the submissions are currently being analysed and will inform the development of the new strategy. The Department will be holding one final stakeholder workshop in October. It is expected that a new obesity policy will be published in early 2026.