Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Jun 2001

Vol. 537 No. 5

Written Answers. - Purchase for Destruction Scheme.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

The EU regulations governing the purchase for destruction scheme require beef purchased under the scheme to be destroyed. Therefore, it is not open to me to make the beef available to charitable organisations.

The purchase for destruction scheme will be replaced by a new special purchase scheme with effect from 1 July. Under the new scheme member states will have the option of either destroying the beef or storing it for eventual dis posal as food aid or other humanitarian purposes. The disposal of the beef will be subject to prior approval of the Commission in the context of the beef management committee.

I have not yet taken any definitive decision on this matter. Any decision to store the beef for eventual use by charitable organisations will have to take account of the level of demand, the precise requirements of charitable organisations, the length of time the beef is likely to remain in store before release and the logistics, the cost and controls involved in a mixed destruction-storage approach.