The Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has called for a 20% tax increase on sugar-sweetened drinks in the forthcoming Budget.

The IHF has also called for the removal of 'nonsensical' VAT anomalies enabling the sale of unhealthy foods ranging from chocolate spread to jam doughnuts at a reduced or zero rate.

In a presentation to the Oireachtas Health Committee today , the national heart health and stroke charity said although they have no nutritional value, sugary drinks were a key driver of Ireland's obesity epidemic.

"Children consuming these drinks get 20% of their recommended daily sugar intake from them, whilst every extra glass a day increases their risk of becoming obese by 60%."

Committee members were also told that one in five one-year-olds, over half of four-year-olds and 82% of 13-17- year-olds consume a sugary drink every day.

And while the percentage of the adult population consuming carbonated drinks has fallen since 2001, among those who consume them, daily intake has increased by over a third, the IHF said.

According to IHF head of advocacy, Chris Macey: "Sugary drinks provide no nutrition, but are packed full of calories. If the Government is serious about tackling obesity, it has to bite the bullet on using taxation to drive consumption down."

The Committee was also told that while foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt are generally subject to the standard 23% rate, some products were charged at a reduced rate, such as croissants, banoffi pie, chocolate chip biscuits, frozen pastry, jaffa cakes and jam doughnuts.

And others, including sugar, icing sugar, chocolate spread and pizza have a zero VAT rating, the IHF pointed out.