Sir, – I note Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly went on a tour of the construction site of the new national children’s hospital on the same day that the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) launched its “Stop Targetting Food Campaign” last week. The IHF warns that one in 20 of this generation’s children will die prematurely due to overweight and obesity and called for greater restrictions to protect children from junk food marketing, including a ban on advertising on public transport, public infrastructure, and State-owned buildings.
I would be interested to know what the Taoiseach or Minister for Health thought if they saw, or were shown, the sign for the new Ronald McDonald House on the hoarding at the front of the construction site – advertising the 53-room parents’ accommodation facility. Of note, the sign for the Ronald McDonald House is bigger than than the sign for the new children’s hospital. After all that’s gone wrong with this hospital, there is no excuse or political spin that can justify sponsorship on this site by the Ronald McDonald House charity. It goes against everything the new national children’s hospital should stand for. – Yours, etc,
CHRIS FITZPATRICK,
Dublin 6.