WELCOME TO POLICY Matters, a series from The Journal that takes a deep dive into the ideas and solutions proposed by Ireland’s politicians on some of the biggest issues of the day.
As part of the series, The Journal sits down with different spokespeople from across Ireland’s political parties to take a deeper look at what they believe needs to be done across areas like housing, health, the environment and childcare.
Over the course of the 2024 general election, we will be taking a special look at some of the proposals from different political candidates that might otherwise slip under the radar.
As part of that, we caught up with Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson David Cullinane to talk about his party’s plans to reduce childhood obesity if Sinn Féin win the upcoming election.
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IN A BID to tackle childhood obesity, Sinn Féin has proposed introducing maximum sodium limits in fast foods and bread, cracking down on junk food advertising and exploring the possibility of “no-fry zones” around schools.
All of these policies are promised under a Public Health (Obesity) Act pledged in the party’s healthcare policy document.
Health spokesperson David Cullinane explained that the core aim of the proposed legislation is to tackle childhood obesity by tightening up rules around advertising and packaging of foods that are high in salt, sugar or fat.
Secondary to this, is exploring the possibility of local councils implementing what are dubbed “no-fry zones” around schools – essentially a ban on businesses like chippers and fast food restaurants.
“We would obviously engage with the sector on that,” Cullinane said.
He insists that a “common sense approach” would be taken, and shops that sell unhealthy or high-fat food in their delis would be exempt.
“This is isn’t the biggest priority for me in my document, in terms of the Public Health Obesity Act, for me, the bigger priority is the targeting of children through advertising and marketing. That will be the first priority.”
Cullinane added that he believes there might be difficulties in actually legislating for “no-fry zones” but said it should still be considered.
“These are proposals with which have been made to us from experts in public health who say we need to be looking at this when we plan the building of schools if we’re serious about reducing obesity, I would imagine that there would be difficulties in legislating in that particular area but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t examine it,” he said.
The party has also pledged to set up an office within the Department of Health, that will be responsible for consumption-related health, i.e. alcohol, vaping, smoking and food content.
On regulating sodium limits in food, Cullinane argued that a lot of people don’t know the sugar or salt content in food and pointed to the sugar tax as an example of a successful government-led intervention.
“The sugar tax was, in my view, a huge success, and a lot of people have now transitioned from say Coke to Coke Zero, or Fanta to Fanta Zero. So it has had an impact.
“So we know that doing things in relation to taxation, but also in relation to reformulation, are measures that the state can put in place,” Cullinane said.
Cullinane prefaced his comments on advertising limits by saying that education and awareness around healthier eating needs to be the first priority.
“We also want to make sure that there are proper health checks. We want to roll out more health checks for those at risk in relation to cholesterol levels, for example, and blood pressure,” he added.
“We have a lot of people who die prematurely because of cardiac arrest and cardiac disease, obesity is becoming more of a problem. We can’t afford not to do anything.”
On advertising, he said the first thing that needs to happen is to introduce rules around food packaging and specifically target marketing near schools and online.
“Obviously, adults make up their own minds. People have to make their own choices, but they have to be supported in that.
“And I suppose that’s what a Public Health Obesity Act does. There is a level of personal responsibility obviously, the state has responsibility in relation to training and awareness, but we can also do more in reducing the content of unhealthy substances and foods.”
Cullinane made the point that any restrictions introduced will relate to the content of food rather than brands.
Responding to the suggestion that fast food brands will find ways around legislation, similar to how alcohol brands have circumvented restrictions by promoting their alcohol free 0.0. brands instead, Cullinane said he doesn’t see this as a negative.
“Personally I don’t have a difficulty with that. I know that people would say they’re a gateway into advertising other alcoholic products, but we have seen a lot of people transition from drinking alcohol, particularly if they’re driving and can now go out and drink 0.0 products.
“So we are seeing more and more people switching, and that’s a good thing.”
He added that he isn’t concerned about traditional fast-food brands advertising alternative products that are healthier.
“We have to work with industries as well in relation to all of those areas.
“It is about, in some cases, taking on big industry.
There are vested interests there, of course there are, but that’s why governments exist.
“People’s public health has to come first. And when we’re spending billions of Euro treating people who have cardiac illness or other illnesses which come from and are related to consumption-related harm, as it’s called, we have an obligation then to do more,” the Waterford TD said.
As part of its “priority legislation”, laws Sinn Féin says it will deliver within five years if in government, the party has promised to deliver an Obesity Act.
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