Policy Updates

Oct 2009

Food in Schools Policy (Northern Ireland) – Consultation

The Department of Education and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety have published consultation proposals in relation to their proposed Food in Schools policy. The consultation exercise seeks views on the draft policy which sets out the overall aims and objectives of the policy in relation to food in schools and describes the range of strategies and plans that are being put in place to deliver improved nutrition for our school children.

The closing date for responses was 11 December 2009.

For more information click here.

For Healthy Food for All's submitted response click here.

 

Oct 2009

Healthy Food for All’s Policy briefing on “The affordability of healthy eating for low-income households” (Republic of Ireland).

On 20 October Healthy Food for All released its policy briefing on “The affordability of healthy eating for low-income households” at Buswells Hotel, Dublin, in response to the McCarthy report and the forthcoming Budget 2010. The briefing draws from a scientific study on the affordability of healthy food for low-income households by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). In the report, Healthy Food for All made the following four policy recommendations:

1. Make universal access to healthy food the cornerstone of government food and nutrition policy.
2. Welfare payments and child benefit should not be decreased, as proposed by the McCarthy report, as this would make healthy food more difficult to obtain for welfare recipients.
3. Access to the cheaper grocery outlets should be improved for low-income households. This can be addressed through the revision of retail planning guidelines and by enhancing local transport systems.
4. Alternative non-commercial ways of providing healthy food should be explored. This includes the development of community food initiatives, such as food cooperatives, and the expansion of school food initiatives based on healthy eating guidelines for children.

A full copy of the policy briefing is available here.

For more information on the policy briefing event click here.