Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 February 2008
76 Deputy Enda Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children if the health and immunisation programme in national schools is to be used as an opportunity to work in partnership with parents and children in developing life skills which support healthy eating and active living and as an opportunity to detect, by measurement, children who are at risk of overweight and underweight; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8615/08]
View answerThe National Taskforce on Obesity saw the school as a key setting in tackling overweight and obesity in children and recommended that schools be encouraged to develop consistent policies to promote healthy eating and active living.
My Department has published "Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Preschools" and "Food and Nutrition guidelines for Primary Schools". Guidelines for post-primary schools are currently being finalised. These guidelines are designed to assist schools to develop a healthy eating policy and promote the concept of healthy eating through a supportive school community. The guidelines will be available as part of a training resource for teachers, trained jointly by Community Dietitians and SPHE Co-ordinators.
A key recommendation of the Taskforce was the development of a National Nutrition Policy. My Department is currently finalising this policy, which will provide strategic direction on nutrition for the next ten years. The target group is young people, 0-18 years, and the priority actions are intended to reduce obesity and food poverty.
The HSE has established a Working Group to implement the health sector recommendations of the Taskforce on Obesity for which the HSE has the lead responsibility and for which €3 million has been allocated. Funding has been provided by the HSE to University College Dublin to record height and weight in children at school entry point as part of an EU initiative to counteract obesity. The development of a national database to monitor prevalence trends of growth, overweight and obesity was also funded. The HSE is working with the Irish Universities Nutritional Alliance to research food and nutrition in children. Funding has also been allocated to the Irish Heart Foundation to undertake a project on marketing of foods to children.
