Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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153. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has taken over the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, which was previously operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2014 and prior years, whereby supplies of cheese, rice and butter were distributed to charities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25720/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) is worth €3.8 billion in real terms across all Member States for the budget period 2014-2020. Ireland’s share is roughly €22.8m and with an Exchequer contribution of €4m will provide some €26.8m overall in support for the period to the end of December 2023.

The Department is the designated managing authority and is responsible for the implementation of the programme. The European Commission approved the Irish Operational Programme in December 2014 and preparations are being finalised to allow for roll-out of the programme nationally. The Irish programme provides that the Department can make cash grants to designated organisations to enable the purchase and distribution of both food and non-food material aid to persons deemed to be the most deprived. A call for proposals from eligible organisations will open in the coming weeks. In addition to the European funded programme, the Department has provided support for the development of national food recovery, storage and distribution infrastructure which will support the delivery of the FEAD programme.