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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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If the same developers who built the thousands of dog box quality houses and flats before going bust and taking the country to the verge of ruin are allowed to carry on as though all that never happened then we know the President is correct. NAMA driving up land prices is another concern, expect to see another bubble and crash within 10 years.
Yet the president remains silent on the fact that children were raped in SVP run schools. SVP has remained silent on this issue . The presidents office was contacted by one survivor and asked to challenge SVP on their silence. The survivor was told the president couldn’t get involved yet it appears the president endorsing the work of SVP is primary to supporting its child abuse victims. Is seems Hypocrisy might be alive and well at the highest levels of political office in Ireland.
Says the man with 4 state pensions
So he can’t have an opinion on things to do with the suffering of the people who elected him because he has 4 state pensions?
Yes, Danny, he can have his opinion but his words seem fairly hollow given that he has made a long career of being a politician and very little else.
Ok, what’s actually wrong with what he said?
Very little. To reiterate, his words sound hollow because he lives in the lap of luxury at the taxpayer’s expense while decrying the shortcomings of the very system that has made him a millionaire. It comes across as extremely hypocritical to me.
Michael D is right but the problem I have with him is all the fine talk is just that, talk wont pay the bills or put food on the table, socialists are pretty good at fine words but they still depend on greedy capitalists to provide the finance to pay public servants to run the run the country and for jobs and employment,preaching is fine up to a point bit without appropriate action its just useless hot air.
Exactly, Michael, talk is cheap but our taxation levels, which subsidise the lives of these talkers, certainly isn’t. The Labour Party is full of salmon socialists like Higgins, look at the likes of Ruairi Quinn, Pat Rabbitte, Joan Burton and Eamon Gilmore. Oh, and let’s not forget Dick Spring with his claims of being a true socialist while wining and dining at the best hotels in Europe at the taxpayer’s expense. And then they have the BALLS to turn around and claim that self-interest is ruining the fabric of our country. The aforementioned five have made careers of preaching while providing very little in the way of substance yet they are all multimillionaires off the back of the system they blame for the problems in society. Self-interest, indeed, the hypocrisy is nauseating
Says the guy living in a palace with a limo and scraping by on over €200.000 a year. Empty words.
Not exactly empty words, just he’s not having to suffer like the people he’s talking about. I don’t remember him saying anything about himself in that speech
Exactly Danny. He has nothing to do with what he is talking about and yet the greed and feeling of entitlement is what’s breaking the tax payer’s back. And he’s riding us like some sort of Lord Farquaad.
He is the elected representative of the people of Ireland and therefore has something to do with what he was talking about. He has a duty to highlight the suffering of the people
Apparently being well off means, to some people, his opinion doesn’t count. Ffs, he’s actually on the side of the people, at least if you take what he says at face value, yet the begrudgers are never happy. If he kept his mouth shut they’d be complaining just as much! Boo hoo, he’s well off, how dare he. Well everyone here would take 3 pensions if they earned them. And he did earn them. He didn’t steal them and he didn’t break any laws or rules (that I know of). As for his current salary and home? He’s the bloody president, they come with the job! Again, he didn’t steal the house and didn’t earn the money dishonestly so I don’t see the problem. He’s he paid more then he should be? Maybe, but I don’t think he picked the salary and I’d make any bet that not one person commenting on this article has or would ever consider getting a new job on the condition of the salary being reduced.
Yet his office ignore the pleas of a child abuse survivor to challenge SVP on their silence with respect to children being abused at their schools.
That is regrettable and I think he should also address that issue, but he can have a view on one thing without having a view on another. In fact he should have to comment on one thing in order to be able to comment on another
€250k a year is what Michael D is on and Mary before him was on €325k. As a socialist could he not take the average industrial wage?Greed how are ya!
Its great to know that as an old Labour party TD he can still have feelings for the poor.
His old buddies in the party continued with their greed regardless of the people who voted for them, their example is a blight on the country
If you can’t afford kids dont have them.. Some of these “Lone Parent Families” aren’t lone parent at all. The partner is secretly living in the house working Away while the mother claims every benefit going…
Cosmo Kramer you have such vision for a definition of a lone parent. I agree some do fit your definition but what of the widowed lone parent or the surviving lone parent. Maybe next time you might consider not placing a bias towards all lone parents. Just out of interest what type of parent raised you a lone parent or a married parent, or a widowed parent. Could you be a separated father or one on those dad’s you noted in your comment ?
Cosmo it’s not too likely to have a partner living with you these days. Inspectors can and do just turn up at your home unannounced and can go through all your stuff cards letters wardrobes . The whole lot. The checks are rigorous and the cut off point for lone parents is 7 years old and will be dropping again I believe. Many lone parents are in the situation of needing benefits as the other parent does not contribute to the child financially at all.that happens with both male and female lone parents.
Robin Tobin..look, lets be clear.. he did say “Some”..im outta here..
@Robin I said “Some” you and the rest of the idiots who red thumbed me are deluded to think that some of the lone parents out there are not creaming the system.
How many pensions does he have?
At least 3, Lecturer, TD, Minister
And all from the same employer.(the plebs)
He announced at the start of his Presidency that he would not be drawing down any pensions while he was President.
We have a problem ,the people have nothing to say in the running of the Government. Big corporation lobbyists and bankers run the show. We have nobody listening to the ordinary people in this country.
Joseph O’Regan I agree with you and the increase in suicides is proof of that. People of Ireland want more done in the area of services which help prevent suicide but the government just keep cutting back.
I’m exhausted footing the bills for other peoples short comings. Not just the bankers that is.
And now our pseudo-socialist president who earns in excess of 250k with a free house and chauffer, is telling me that my self interest is harming the most vulnerable.
He is an unlikeable man with a put-on upper class accent telling people they should feel guilty for not caring deeply about other people who happen to live in the same country as them. Without the kind of market economy he gives out about he definitely wouldn’t have 5 grand a week in salary. No doubt he’d reply that he would be equally happy with say 1 grand, in which case he should give the rest away, otherwise he’d be evidently a hypocrite. Cutting it from 325k or whatever to 250k was more annoying to me than if he just left it.
Mark, when did he say anything about your self-interest?
the, he is paid by the state, not by the market economy. He’d almost certainly have a similar salary in a full on socialist state. I wonder how much the premier and president of China are paid.
The funds put into state coffers are generated via the market economy ..
Are you going to address the very important second part of the point I made to you?
Well for one, China’s population is about 284 times greater than Ireland’s so if a socialist/communist leader over there gets what Higgins gets, it might be hypocritical but there are much more people to be parasitic upon
Fifteen years too late I’m afraid…
He must of left out two parent families also by mistake
It was a study by St Vinxent De Paul and the findings were in relation to lone parents . That’s why its lone parents under discussion
The St Vincent DePaul left out two-parent families then. I wonder are they as selective about accepting hard-earned donations from two-parent families as they are about helping them when they’re in need?
Higgins talking about “acquiescent fortitude” isn’t going to make a jot of difference to the multitudes trying to put bread and milk on the table.
I’m starting to get really tired of this pretentious individual. He is so unlikeable.
Corporate greed is alive and well…its happening all over the world .profit margins are maintained at the expense of the ordinary worker.turning a corner my arse.no problem getting ppl back to work if they are paid next to nothing.job figures give a false indication of actual reality
I had to read this article twice as it leaves me totally dumbfounded. The check of that parasite Higgins to lecture people’s on the wrongs of society. The very society that he and his like have manufactured , the one he presides over .He and his cronies owe every penny they stole to the same people who are in need right now. How dare he lecture from his mansion in phoenix park
How did he manufacture this society? What money did he steal?
Danny, where’s your head at?
Anyone going to answer my questions?
I consider socialism to be stealing.
Money is taken forcefully and given to others.
Higgins promotes this.
By that definition FG, FF and Labour are all socialists!!
Correct Sean.
In my view there is no non socialist party in ireland.
Some are however more socialist than others.
Labour isn’t socialist, FG isn’t socialist, and FF isn’t socialist.
And socialism isn’t about giving people’s money to others. If that’s what you think then you clearly aren’t very well educated on the topic
What do you think it is Danny?
Socialism is about egalitarianism, the removal of class, sharing resources based on need and then want, nationalisation of industry/worker owned industry, no private property, universal healthcare, universal education etc. Taking from one and giving to another is Robin Hood, not socialism.
That isn’t what I think it is, that is what it is.
To share resources wouldn’t you first have to forcefully take them from their current owners?
Likewise with the private property thing?
How would you fund universal healthcare if not through taxes?
It would be nice if Danny could answer your question about healthcare Ray. Danny, do you think people maliciously don’t want equality, no class etc? Do you think centre-right parties have the policies they do because they are pantomime villains? They believe the greatest good possible can be attained in an imperfect world through their policies. Most people want a decent degree of social and economic equality as well as universal prosperity but there is lots of reasons why they just can’t be achieved at the same time, especially not through socialism. During the boom I didn’t hear much giving out by anyone about the market economy etc. and socialism was seen as some naive political ideology from depressing countries, consigned to history. I’m working class and I loved the good feeling of the boom. I don’t want depressing socialism and poverty . Each country should have a socialist zone where you can opt in if you want to be part of it and they gave to generate their own funds. Also, Sweden etc. are able to be semi-socialist because they are bankrolled with oil money and they eat into previously generated wealth.
*have
In other words communism.
Never went away imo
Mr President, your own ‘Labour’ Party would be a good place to see right wing policies in action
”values such as greed, self-interest, the insatiable pursuit of material gratifications and unrestrained competition…have become widely endorsed.”
Indeed Mickey D but enough about Labour!
Yes indeed it is Higgie baby, and you’re presiding over it.
I am going to state how Higgins concerns are false.
A one parent family can be defined as sole surviving parent with a child, a widow parent with a child, a separated parent with a child.
Question to Mr Higgins which family above is more favourablily treated by the taxing policy of Ireland and state benefits.
Answer a widowed parent. Yes if you are a married catholic widowed with a child you get better treated by the state than a parent whose partner is deceased and they are left raising the child.
How much is in the difference €8,000 tax relief. Social welfare does not allow allow an unmarried surviving parent to claim a widow pension by using the prsi payments but if you are married you can.
Mr Higgins since 1997 the tax consolidation acts have played a section of many one parent families into species who cannot equally access the same help and tax reliefs as a married widow parent.
The equality authority is now being asked by my client to take this on.
You have been in government since 1997 and went along with this.
Ireland is a dire, irrelevant arrogant disregarding respect for its people equal rights, the creed of the government on behalf of the nation is to lie and seguradation of its citizens.
We are not a nation of well to do people but a nation of very bad judgements which has resulted in pushing people into poverty. Hold your head in shame Mr Higgins.
How arrogant is Higgins ? His office stated he couldn’t challenge SVP about its record of silence about the abuse of children at their schools. Yet he has no problem as president about publicly endorsing that same organisation a couple of weeks later. I know your wife is well connected to the Catholic Church and SVP but when there is a child abuse scandal about SVP on the horizon that your office knows about , it isn’t to clever for you or your wife to support them soon after you’ve been informed of the scandal Mr President. It doesn’t exactly send out a good message to child rape survivors of SVP run schools.
There is no nobility in poverty.
The point ladies and gentlemen that greed, for a lack of a better word, is good.
For the lack of a better word…idiot!!
Says one of the most overpaid civil servants in the country.
What’s wrong with what he actually said though?
Nothing but talk is cheap and these people just gall me. They’ve enriched themselves for years at our expense. And it’s not as if we have a lot to show for our money now is it?
Hardly surprising considering all that gets talked about on the radio or tv here is economics. Over and over.
UK media is nowhere near as obsessed with it.
I am just wondering will Our enda give him a telling of,
have your say