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THE CSO HAS released results from the Irish Health Survey 2015, which show that while most of us report our health as good or very good, over half of Irish people are overweight or obese.
Other key points from the survey show that 81% of people drink alcohol, with 16% saying that they binge drink – which is defined as the equivalent of three or more pints of beer or six pub measures of spirits – at least once a week.
Despite Government initiatives, such as “1 in every 2 smokers”, over one in five (22%) smoke, but only 15% of people indicated that they smoke daily.
83% of the population aged 15 and over reported themselves to be in good or very good health, although almost a third (32%) said that they have a long standing illness or health condition.
Most common among these conditions were chronic back pain (19%), high blood pressure (16%) and allergies such as dermatitis and food allergies (14%).
One in ten 15-24 year olds, meanwhile, said that they’d visited a psychiatrist, psychotherapist or psychologist in the last year, while 8% had experienced symptoms of at least moderate depression two weeks prior to the survey.
A report from the World Health Organisation estimates that, on current trends, nearly all Irish adults are likely to be overweight by 2030. In a bid to take steps to combat obesity in the recent budget, the Government said that Ireland will be getting a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, but it won’t come into effect until 2018.
Over 10,000 people contributed to the survey, which aims to provide data on various aspects of health. The results of the Irish Health Survey 2015 can be read here.
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What about introducing financial penalties along with increased sentences. Criminals paying substantial damages to victims of crime, even if that means seizing their assets or making them, in extreme cases, homeless. Holding parents responsible for their Under 16′s in order to minimise social crime. Violent rioters and social media outlets paying for burning buildings and garda cars etc instead of giving the taxpayer the bill. Hit them where it hurts most, just like they do to ‘victims’.
@BarryH: Not sure how the legal system works in that respect but wouldn’t that be a separate, civil case besides the criminal one to award a monetary fine?
@Athena: Most of the laws we have in place are leftovers from Brit rule. Irish ?legislators? couldn’t be bothered on updating them to suit modern society and then we have, as far as I can see, data protection rules, that seem to favour the people ie right / left wing criminals and social media sites, that aim to disrupt society instead of protecting society. If the legislators were doing their job they would make ‘exceptions’ to the laws.
E.G. The Gardai told Instagram to take down the online threats made to Simon Harris and give them the name of the culprit. Instagram replied that that would be in breach of the culprits rights. He is Taoiseach and can ‘ legislate’ Does Simon not think that the common man should be protected more than the criminal?????????
I want to feel sympathy for politicians who are abused but it is in their hands and their fault. They could save the taxpayer millions in libel cases.
About time, a huge step forward!!!!
For heinous cases involving fatalities of course the presiding Judge, having heard all the evidence, should be able to nominate/ sentence with a ‘minimal’ tariff
Life should mean life.
All well and good going forward,Helen nicely done. Maybe find somewhere to put criminals that get tru the revolving door!!!
And judges should be elected.
@AnthonyK: they are. We’ve devolved that role to our elected representatives. Or do you mean like the US system which has proven to more about politics then the rule of law?
@Paul C: Nolan??
There should be minimum sentecens for a lot more crimes. Now its a toss if you have judge Nolan for a suspended sentence or another one for a much harder punishment.
@hans vos: Just go online prior to your trial… he’ll prob give you a high five. A disgrace of an individual.
“minimum”—- not——’minumal’
@Buster Lawless: you’ll need to tell that to the likes of Judges Nolan and O’Donnell not us.
Ain’t much good if the likes of Martin Nolan won’t even lock them up on normal sentences!!
@Michael o connor: Don’t get me started… an absolute disgrace that he’s still on the Bar.
‘Life incommunicado’ in a communications age. I.e., never again permitted to use a phone, computer or any communication device. In this day and age, that would hurt. And take their shoes too. And toss their hair while you’re at it.
@Paul C: Judges should go before the electorate and show what they did to uphold the law and make the society better.
There’s no need for this, sure isn’t Dublin a safe city!
We need to build more prisons so criminals can be given proper sentences. Criminals with 50-100 previous conviction should not be walking the streets for a very long time. Also SA sentences in this country are an absolute joke. 8 years for rape is a ridiculous. I don’t blame some women for not reporting these crimes. Also we need far more consecutive sentences.
have your say