Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 October 2004
20 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on whether an interdepartmental approach is necessary to deal with the problem of obesity; the steps she has taken to ensure an interdepartmental approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26351/04]
View answerTo halt and then reverse the rise in obesity levels, programmes and initiatives need to operate in an environment that will influence, encourage and sustain a healthy lifestyle regime. This will require the direct involvement of a range of Departments and agencies.
The National Taskforce on Obesity, established on 10 March 2004, has carried out a comprehensive consultation process in which a number of Departments were identified as key stakeholders and invited to make submissions. All submissions received from this consultation process will inform the recommendations being made by the task force, which is due to present its recommendations to me by December 2004.
