asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, in view of certain anomalies which have arisen in the distribution of free meat this year, if he has any plans to change the rules of distribution in order that there is greater equity in the scheme.
Written Answers. - Free Food Distribution.
53.
The conditions of the free beef scheme are reviewed each year and, in planning the 1989 measure, my primary concern was to ensure the widest and most equitable distribution of the available beef. I believe that the scheme this year has achieved this objective and some 120,000 have benefited compared with fewer than 50,000 in 1988.
The increased allocation of intervention beef which I succeeded in obtaining from the EC for the 1989 scheme made it possible to extend the scope of the measure. The most needly welfare categories were identified in consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and comprised: (1) hostels and day-centres providing meals for homeless people; (2) certain social welfare recipients i.e. recipients of long-term unemployment assistance and equivalent FÁS trainees recipients of long-term supplementary welfare allowance. For 1990 I will of course be seeking to extend the scheme even further. The increase in the numbers eligible for this year's free beef scheme indicates the Government's clear commitment to expand the scheme to the maximum possible extent.