Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 226: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to the recent announcement regarding the availability of free cheese for persons with financial difficulties, how the cheese is distributed, and the person responsible for the co-ordination of same; the groups and agencies involved in the Dublin area, such as State agencies, charities and community groups; if he will provide a cost analysis of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47570/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The supply of the cheese is funded by the European Commission under a scheme which was designed to release products that were available in Community intervention stocks to charitable organizations for free distribution to people in need. The Commission publishes an annual plan, including for each Member State applying the measure, and stating the quantity of each agricultural product to be withdrawn from intervention. The products available from intervention stocks were not in a suitable form for direct distribution and were exchanged for cheese following a public tender competition organized by the Intervention Unit of my Department. The successful tenderer arranged for the cheese to be delivered in four separate tranches during the year and charities applied through my Department for permits to collect the cheese from the designated stores. A number of charitable and community groups in the Dublin area participated. There was no cost to my Department for the purchase of the cheese. I consider the scheme to be an important means of contributing towards the well-being of the most deprived citizens of the Community.