A SINN FÉIN TD has questioned the amount previously spent by the Department of Health in sponsoring RTÉ’s Operation Transformation after a 30% decrease in cost this year.

In both 2021 and 2022, the Department of Health spent €230,000 to sponsor the series – a total cost across both years of €460,000.

No money was paid towards sponsoring the programme last year.

RTÉ’s sponsorship package for the current season of Operation Transformation costs €160,000 – a 30% decrease on what it cost the Department. 

In response to a Parliamentary Question from Sinn Féin’s mental health spokesperson Mark Ward, the Department said its sponsorship of the programme was part of its Obesity Policy and Action Plan.

The Department added that it designed a “new citizen engagement campaign” in 2022 in consultation with the HSE and key stakeholders, including Bodywhys and the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity.

In recent years, Operation Transformation has come under criticism for its focus on weight loss, but RTÉ has said that the programme has evolved considerably over the years and now takes a “holistic approach to health and wellbeing”.

In a statement to The Journal, Ward said he welcomed the Department of Health ceasing its sponsorship of Operation Transformation.

He added: “The fact that RTÉ is seeking a new sponsor for the show at 30% less than the Department of Health was paying would indicate that they were getting poor value for money.”

Ward also remarked that the €460,000 which was spent by the Department on sponsoring the show in 2021 and 2022 “could have been spent on the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders, which he described as a “vital and lifesaving clinical programme”.

The National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders (NCPED) was launched by the HSE in 2018 and aims to support enhanced screening and early recognition of eating disorders and to reduce relapse rates.

Another aim of the NCPED was to establish 16 eating disorder networks (eight adult teams and eight CAMHS teams).

In October, Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler said “there are 10 NCPED teams at various stages of development across the HSE”.

Ward added that “this is the second year running that there is no additional funding for the NCPED”.

Meanwhile, Bodywhys has noted that “Christmas and New Year can be particularly difficult for people affected by eating disorders and those vulnerable to developing eating disorders”.

While Bodywhys didn’t wish to comment on the current season of Operation Transformation, in a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson said: “During Christmas the emphasis on food, increased social expectations and the lack of routine can be particularly challenging – in January, the messages shift.

“There is a focus on diets, weight loss, going to the gym, appearance and increased physical exercise. This type of messaging can create the illusion of a straightforward path to ‘perfection’ or happiness.

“In reality, dieting can have a negative impact on our health and is one of the major risk factors for the development of an eating disorder.”

RTÉ and the Department of Health have been approached for comment.