asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the proposed distribution of surplus EC meat and butter to low income families which was to have commenced at the beginning of this year has not yet begun; when it is expected to commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Surplus EC Meat and Butter.
9.
Ireland's request to participate in the scheme for the supply of food from intervention stocks to the most deprived persons in the Community was submitted to the EC Commission on 19 January this year. The Commission approved Ireland's application on 24 February.
The Irish scheme, approved by the Commission, covers: (1) homeless persons accommodated in hostels and shelters run by voluntary organisations and (2) certain social welfare recipients. The hostels and shelters concerned have been allocated supplies of beef and butter based on their needs to the end of December next.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul agreed to operate the scheme to distribute the beef to the social welfare recipients concerned. Because of the limited nature of the scheme, it was essential that eligibility criteria be drawn up in consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and other bodies concerned. These criteria had then to be used to draw up a detailed picture of the geographical spread of recipients in order to facilitate the proposed distribution of beef.
The eligible social welfare categories are as follows: recipients of long-term unemployment assistance who qualify for the fuel allowance; recipients of long-term supplementary welfare allowance and FÁS trainees who qualify for the fuel allowance.
Intervention beef has, of course, to be processed into family-sized portions. Arrangements have been made at a local level between the Society of St. Vincent de Paul conferences and meat processors and it has been difficult to finalise these arrangements in some areas because of the lack of convenient processing plants. Progress has recently been hindered due to the British shipping dispute and seasonal factors which have resulted in the temporary closure of a number of the processing plants involved.
However, I am pleased to note that almost all the problems have been surmounted at this stage due to the combined efforts of all concerned. Processing of the beef has now begun and the distribution will commence as soon as this has been completed. I would like again to thank the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for agreeing to carry out this difficult operation and the meat plants for agreeing to process the beef free of charge.
The House will also wish to note that I have obtained the agreement of the EC Commission to sell a limited quantity of top quality Irish intervention beef at very attractive prices to health boards and voluntary hospitals. I anticipate that the first sales will take place within a matter of weeks.
I thank the Minister for his reply. In February he stated that the scheme would be ready within a short period but this is now almost the end of May. This is not the time of year when there should be any scheme for the distribution of food, rather it should be in the winter months. Did the Minister say that a means test will be applied and, if so, who will apply it? I distinctly heard the Minister say that hostels and homes for the elderly would be allocated supplies of beef and butter but he also said that those in receipt of long-term unemployment assistance etc., would be eligible. I do not want to hear that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul will be assessing those who will be eligible to receive the food. Perhaps the Minister will spell out clearly who will be responsible for the means testing?
The Deputy will note that the Commission only agreed to my proposal on 24 February. I know that is three months ago but I could not begin before that point. None of us likes means testing and I do not see any need for it. I and my officials are not equipped to ascertain who is most in need and I requested the Minister for Social Welfare to consult with those organisations who are best equipped. Obviously that immediately suggested the Society of St. Vincent de Paul who drew up guidelines. There are no rules or regulations attaching to the guidelines. The guidelines are those which the Society of St. Vincent de Paul would be prepared to use in the distribution of the food by them. I have given indications of those guidelines. I can assure the Deputy there will not be any means testing.
I do not want to be over-critical. Will the Minister not accept that the delays which are outlined in his very comprehensive reply are a disgrace? It has taken three months for the mandarins in his Department to put their heads together with their counterparts in the Department of Social Welfare to draw up this scheme. Surely that is something that could have been done virtually overnight? If the poor and the underprivileged people were waiting for the civil servants to distribute the free beef, they would be very hungry before it would arrive.
I agree that a day's delay is a day too long. I can assure the Deputy that is over now. I pressed them continually but there were a number of different Departments involved. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul were entitled to say that before they started to work on the scheme they wanted to know exactly what they were to do. None of these things can be done overnight. As it happened, the shipping strike had an effect. These were matters which were beyond our control. Now the scheme is ready and I want to see it operating very quickly.
Will the details of the scheme or the criteria for the distribution of the food be circularised?
It will be circularised but I do not know how widely. That, too, as the Deputy is aware, could take a long time as well if I start to get departmental forms and notices. I will try to make the maximum amount of information available. The fact that the Deputy has put down this question and that we are dealing with it here today may also attract some notice.
Can the Minister give an undertaking to the House that in the operation of future schemes he will try to ensure that the delays which occured on this occasion will not be repeated? Obviously, the time of most need is in the winter months and that is the time we should try to get the scheme off the ground. Will he give an undertaking to the House that he would try to do that in future? Handing out supplements in midsummer is like handing out overcoats at that time of year as well.
One of the reasons for the delay is one which started in Europe. Some member states did not want to be involved in the free food scheme. I then applied, on behalf of this country, for an excess on the Irish portion arising out of what had not been taken up by other member states. We want to be involved and we want to use this food for the people who need it. That took some time. An extra analysis was done but I do not want to go into that because I do not want to get involved in any implication about other member states who do not have the same need as we do. There will be no delay.
The scheme was approved in February.
At the end of February.