Vol. 474 No. 2
104 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason he has altered the butter voucher scheme which has resulted in a recipient receiving only half of the previous allowance; if his attention has been dawn to the fact that this is targeting the less well off in our society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2650/97]
This measure is fully funded by the European Union without any national Exchequer contribution. Ireland is the only member state operating the Scheme. Following a recent review of the future of the scheme, the European Commission, in its report to the council, concluded that, while the scheme should be extended for a further two years at an unchanged aid level, the monthly entitlement should be halved to reflect the general decline in butter consumption in Ireland. The Agriculture Council agreed in December to continue the scheme for a further two years on the basis of the Commission proposal.
I am aware of the importance of the social assistance butter scheme to the less well-off in our society. This was a major factor which, in the context of the recent review, led me to seek the scheme continued on a viable basis. The reduction in the amount of butter available to beneficiaries reflects the decline in per capita butter consumption in Ireland, which, since 1980 has fallen from 2 lbs to under 1 lb per month.
