Sargent seeks curb on sale of unhealthy foods

The Green Party leader urged the Government to curb the distribution of unhealthy foods as part of its campaign to solve the problems in the health services.

Mr Trevor Sargent said he had recently attended a lecture on children and health which clearly showed that what was described as an "obesogenic environment" was developing in society.

He agreed that the health service had been underfunded for years. "However, it will never be adequately funded as long as we continue to allow such clandestine sickness-inducing activity as producing food that will make people obese, resulting in heart disease, strokes, type-two diabetes, cancers and all the psychological problems of loss of self-esteem and bullying experienced by these children," he added.

Mr Sargent was speaking during the resumed debate on the Health Bill, which provides for the setting up of the Health Service Executive.

Mr Martin Ferris (SF, Kerry North) said the Bill's main flaw was the proposal to increase the centralisation of overall administration and key services in the health sector.

"This will further the agenda laid down in the Hanly report whereby decisions will be made with no input from democratically elected representatives," he added.

Mr Ferris claimed that with the diminishing of local input into decision-making, many regional hospitals were being denied facilities and improvements which had already been promised.

"While Tralee General Hospital has been promised a new accident-and-emergency unit, and a new maternity wing, neither of these has been delivered," he added.

"It also needs a breast-check unit, given that the current service is totally inadequate to cope with demand."

Dr Jerry Cowley (Independent, Mayo) said the Bill sidelined the Department of Health from the day-to-day running of the health services, which was not a bad thing.

"We already know about decisions made by the Department, the health boards and other bodies which create a two-tier system, such as giving breast-check to only half the country in 2000 and leaving the other half to wait until 2007," he added.

Mr John Moloney (FF, Laois-Offaly) said that most of the issues which created difficulties for health board members were addressed in the Bill.

"Many speakers have referred to the boards competing with each other and anyone who has served on a health board knows the problems that causes," he added. "Boards compete with each other when the estimates are published to reach the premier league by implementing policies that cause difficulties in adjoining health board areas."

Mr Michael Ring (FG, Mayo) said there was nothing worse for a TD than a constituent contacting him or her about a loved family member who needed a hospital bed urgently.

"Every week we are contacted by these people, and the most important thing in their lives is that family member and getting the best for him or her," he said. "I hope what is proposed will work."

Mr Sean Ryan (Labour, Dublin North) said he was "angry and frustrated" about the manner in which older people were being treated.