Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

434. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there has been a discontinuation of the supply of free EU intervention surplus cheese; and the alternative means by which the families who previously benefited from this scheme via community based organisations who disbursed it on behalf of his Department can continue to avail of same. [27201/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Most Deprived Scheme has been managed by my Department for a number of years and participation in the scheme has steadily increased since 2007. Over the period 2007 to 2014, some €5m worth of product has been distributed in 1.8 million individual parcels to those most in need. The 563 charities who participated in the scheme this year availed of cheese, rice and butter.

The scheme in its current form has now been discontinued, as and from June this year. The rationale of linking the scheme with intervention stocks is no longer valid as there has been no surplus product bought into intervention for the last number of years. However, in March 2014, the European Council and Parliament agreed a regulation to introduce a new Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) to support the provision of food and consumer products to those most in need. The Fund will contribute to the reduction of poverty by supporting national schemes that provide non-financial assistance to alleviate food and severe material deprivation. The EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived will be administered by the Department of Social Protection, which has commenced development of the new programme.