# Free Cheese Scheme



## MandaC (6 Nov 2010)

The Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith has announced that a substantial quantity of cheese will be made available free of charge for those most in need this Christmas.

He says the cheese stocks will be made available for collection by charities from November 15 at stores in Dublin, Laois, Waterford and Cork.

The scheme is funded by the European Commission.


I heard this yesterday and was not sure it was for real.  There is a recession on.  Give them a load of cheese!


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## thedaras (6 Nov 2010)

There were many many people/groups on radio and TV that would be more than happy to receive it, especially in a recession.

The two issues need to be separated.

Someone who has had a big drop in income, may be very happy to receive cheese,cereal,meat,whatever they can get..

There are people on the radio who say they pay 3.50 a week for cheese,so that adds up to 14 euro a month,thats a big saving for those in need.

Those of us who haven't had to experience how difficult life can be,need to be aware that what may seem to you to be a wasteful/cyincal handout,can in fact be a help to those in need.

I hope there will be a lot more of this,I hope those in need get as much as possible for free.

Does it make the government popular ,I don't think so.
Does it solve every problem,I don't think so.

Does it make it easier to have your income cut even more..I don't think so.
But I do believe when all these have happened to you anyway,that every little helps.
The St Vincent de Paul, have always given food parcels to those in need and cheese was a part of that,so regardless of how its announced, I think its great for those who need it.


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## MandaC (6 Nov 2010)

I grew up on butter vouchers and handouts/freebies,etc.    Tuesday to Thursday we lived on "goody" (hot milk, bread and sugar).  We always had a skit about the butter vouchers because we had no food, no light (ESB turned off) no money, but there was butter in the fridge.    Ironically, we never had "proper" cheese (apart from the odd easi single on toast), it was too expensive and not deemed a food necessity.

That was 30 years ago and surely the Government can do better in this day and age.  To triumphantly announce "free cheese for the needy" and try to get credit in one breath while cooking up 6bn worth of cuts to spring on us next month is a disgrace.

It that is the best they can come up with, there is not much hope.


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## thedaras (6 Nov 2010)

I am not disagreeing with you,But I do think the  two issues need to be separated..

I agree with you ,that if this is the best they can come up with ,there is not much hope.
I agree it is a disgrace that they would try to get credit for it.
I agree that 6bn worth of cuts is a disgrace.

However, those who need handouts will need handouts regardless (because of the mess the government has got us into.)
Do you see where I'm coming from?


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## z107 (6 Nov 2010)

> I grew up on butter vouchers and handouts/freebies,etc. Tuesday to Thursday we lived on "goody" (hot milk, bread and sugar). We always had a skit about the butter vouchers because we had no food, no light (ESB turned off) no money, but there was butter in the fridge. Ironically, we never had "proper" cheese (apart from the odd easi single on toast), it was too expensive and not deemed a food necessity.


Sounds terrible.
Why didn't your family just emigrate? I wouldn't hang around for that.


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## Slash (6 Nov 2010)

The free cheese scheme has been going on for many years. This is the first year that any Government has sought to publicise the scheme.............and probably the last.


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## micmclo (6 Nov 2010)

This thread stinks!


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## RMCF (7 Nov 2010)

No harm, but this news is very embarrassing, it really makes the country look like it has hit the absolute bottom (which it may have).

I wonder how the markets will take this news. A country living on handouts? Would you loan it money?


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## Caveat (8 Nov 2010)

Sure Bertie has been giving us plenty of Dubliner cheese for years...


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## pixiebean22 (8 Nov 2010)

I may be wrong, but was this free cheese scheme not always available through the EC?


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## micmclo (8 Nov 2010)

Certainly was pixlebean22

This scheme has been around for years but a lot of people are only finding out about it for the first time


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## RMCF (8 Nov 2010)

Has anyone thought about how this might affect those companies that make and sell cheese here?

After all, they have their costs too, and now they are competing against cheese being given away for free,.


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## Conan (8 Nov 2010)

When I heard the Minister for Cheese on the radio announcing the scheme, I first thought it was 1st April, then I thought it must be Nob Nation. Then I realised he was serious......
Either the Minister or his advisor should be fired for such a crazy announcement the day after the €6b cut was announced. Did he think is was a slow news day? Did he think it would deflect from the Budget cuts? Did he think?

It is this type of idiotic planning that makes the Government (and by default all of us) look like absolute plonkers. But maybe we are, we elected them.

And then to cap (sic) it all Deputy Healy-Rea comes out with his spending list in order to support the Budget. So he will support the cuts for the nation as a whole if the Government spend more money on a raod by-pass and a new hospital for his constituency. And guess what..... the gob&*@+! will probably be elected (Oh I forgot, the seat is being inherited by his son - and without any inheritance tax liability). 

Much and all as I dislike him. we would be better off having Micael O'Leary appointed as a dictator (he has had plenty of practice and appears successful). At least he would make a call, get on with it and ignore the consensus/ social-partnership mullarkey (which is much to blame for the state we are in).


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## micmclo (8 Nov 2010)

Conan said:


> (Oh I forgot, the seat is being inherited by his son -



Not inherited
He stands for election, if the voters want him then they'll choose him. If not, he'll be publicly rejected
It's up to the other candidates to beat him.

You complain about a seat being inherited as if there is no democracy but then in the next paragraph want a dictator


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## LDFerguson (9 Nov 2010)

Storm on a cheese platter.  As has been said already the free cheese scheme is not new.  It's just monumentally bad PR management to make an announcement about it this year, the day after the €6B cuts one.  They should have carried on with the distribution of the cheese through the charity agencies as before, without seeking some sort of brownie points (couldn't think of a cheese replacement for brownie points).  

It's just (e)dam bad PR.  If the Government's PR advisors had been gouda their jobs, this wouldn't have happened.


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## PaddyW (9 Nov 2010)

MandaC said:


> I grew up on butter vouchers and handouts/freebies,etc.    Tuesday to Thursday we lived on "goody" (hot milk, bread and sugar).  We always had a skit about the butter vouchers because we had no food, no light (ESB turned off) no money, but there was butter in the fridge.    Ironically, we never had "proper" cheese (apart from the odd easi single on toast), it was too expensive and not deemed a food necessity.
> 
> That was 30 years ago and surely the Government can do better in this day and age.  To triumphantly announce "free cheese for the needy" and try to get credit in one breath while cooking up 6bn worth of cuts to spring on us next month is a disgrace.
> 
> It that is the best they can come up with, there is not much hope.



Sounds like you and I grew up in similar worlds


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## thedaras (9 Nov 2010)

RMCF said:


> Has anyone thought about how this might affect those companies that make and sell cheese here?
> 
> After all, they have their costs too, and now they are competing against cheese being given away for free,.


That is the first thing that came to my mind..I would think they are not too happy about this.


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## z107 (9 Nov 2010)

> Not inherited
> He stands for election, if the voters want him then they'll choose him. If not, he'll be publicly rejected
> It's up to the other candidates to beat him.
> 
> You complain about a seat being inherited as if there is no democracy but then in the next paragraph want a dictator


It will be inherited.

Ireland is really no different to North Korea when it comes to political family dynasties.
If we have to have a dictatorship, I too would rather someone like Michael O'Leary.


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## Firefly (9 Nov 2010)

thedaras said:


> That is the first thing that came to my mind..I would think they are not too happy about this.


 
I'm not sure if the poorest people in society buy cheese and if they don't then the market would be largely unaffected.


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