Vol. 421 No. 2
111 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the categories of people who can avail of the distribution of intervention beef from the EC; if it is available to statutory authorities such as health boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3780/87 provides for the supply of food from intervention stocks to designated organisations for distribution to the most deprived persons in the Community. Each year a financial allocation is made to each member state under this scheme and the beef is made available strictly in line with this allocation.
Each year in consultation with the Department of Social Welfare the specific beneficiaries are identified. To date the beneficiaries have been: recipients of long-term unemployment assistance, excluding smallholders; recipients of pre-retirement allowance; recipients of long-term supplementary welfare allowance; FÁS trainees who were in receipt of long-term unemployment assistance immediately prior to doing their FÁS courses.
This free beef scheme is not made available to statutory authorities of any kind. Distribution of the beef is carried out by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Commission Regulation 2848/89 provides for the sale of intervention beef to non-profit-making welfare institutions and bodies. This sale of this beef is carried out at prices fixed in advance. Institutions wishing to participate in the scheme must apply to be entered on the official list and must give an undertaking to use the beef as provided for in the regulation. Beef is sold to health boards for hospitals under their aegis which are listed. Beef is also sold to hospitals not under the aegis of health boards but such hospitals must be approved by these boards.
