Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The old saying goes, "If it's not broken, don't fix it." The Minister's own report said that an additional financial burden is being placed upon current beneficiaries of this scheme. Future applicants would obviously also have benefited.

The cost of these diets for coeliacs, stroke victims or people suffering from motor neurone disease has increased in the period covered by the report from 35% of social welfare income to 40%. That contradicts what the Minister said. Not every town and village in the country has one of these big multiples, so there is an extra cost for people who have to go out of their way to visit such outlets.

I do the weekly shopping so I know the prices involved. Ordinary pasta in Tesco costs 47 cent but gluten-free pasta costs €2.50, which is over five times the amount. I can quote similar price differentials for bread, crackers and cornflakes. Luckily there is a range of such products now, but the problem is that they still cost substantially more than normal foodstuffs. The poorest in our society are thus being penalised so I am asking the Minister to reverse this change. If the numbers applying for the scheme are dropping it would obviously be less of a cost, so I cannot see the logic behind this in any shape or form.

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