Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2026
741. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health further to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 1010 of 16 June 2026, to specify each performance indicator currently used to measure the effectiveness of national obesity policy and obesity treatment services; and to provide the most recent result available for each such indicator. [50981/26]
View answerThe 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.
The Department publishes an annual report detailing the progress made under each action point of OPAP, which is developed in collaboration with the members of the Obesity Policy Implementation Oversight Group. These progress reports contain updates on the progress made under each action point of OPAP. The most recent published progress report is the “Obesity Policy and Action Plan (2016-2025) Progress Report 2024” and can be found here (www.assets.gov.ie/static/documents/67879fff/J636_DoH_OPAP_2024_070825_V3_Final_2.pdf).
