The Irish government has unveiled a new initiative to deal with those living in poverty by utilizing cheese mountains and donating cheese to the poor.
The opposition were quick to attack the new scheme describing it as “ridiculous."
Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael's agriculture spokesman said: "People on the breadline would rather the government's attention was on solving the economic crisis they caused and providing jobs rather than on this ridiculous announcement.
The minister for agriculture Brendan Smith announced the plans yesterday for a European funded scheme that will enable Ireland to benefit from the EU cheese mountains.
Over 50 tonnes of fresh cheddar will be distributed from November 15th in towns and cities throughout the country. The cheese will have been manufactured in Ireland and will be purchased by the government from the Irish Dairy Board.
The minister said the initiative is "an important means of contributing towards the well-being of the most deprived citizens in the community."
"I am very conscious that many people find themselves in difficult circumstances at present and I want to commend the work of the many charitable organisations who are working on the front line to bring what comfort and relief they can," he added.
Doyle disagreed"This shows just how out of touch Fianna Fáil and the Greens truly are. Maybe looking down from their ministerial Mercs, [prime minister] Brian Cowen, Brendan Smith et al think that all the Irish people want or need is cheese. The truth is sadly different.
"It goes to show that they think that providing free cheese will soft soap the electorate and make us all forget the mess Fianna Fáil made of the country and the hardship Brian Lenihan will inflict on everyone. It won't,” Doyle said.
The public were also equally dismayed by the announcement. A caller to RTÉ's Joe Duffy phone-in radio show said: "The fact that Marie Antoinette said 'let them eat cake' was the beginning of the revolution – is that what they want?"
Another caller said: "Have they taken leave of their senses? It's not cheese that people who have lost their jobs are worried about, it's about how they're going to tell their children or grandchildren that Santa has very little money.
"What are they going to tell their children and grandchildren: that Santa has cheese instead?"
The initiative has been welcomed by St. Vincent De Paul, a charity organization that works with the poor in Ireland.
5 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.sirpeter | Nov 07, 2010, 05:00 AM EST
Feckin'Useless gits get all the freebies,poor my ass.I love cheese,I'll have some red cheddar please.
Dublinjas | Nov 06, 2010, 10:18 PM EDT
Why can there not be mountains of useful things like New harley motorcycles or 60 foot sailboats or stunning young French Maids or slightly used pubs etc but fecking Cheddar and not a mention of a Jacobs.........
antoman | Nov 06, 2010, 05:48 PM EDT
Any chance of getting cream crackers with the cheese like?
mhichil | Nov 06, 2010, 02:50 PM EDT
'sfunny,.. america pacified the poor with government cheese and avoided a social revolution. 20 years later and they wonder why americans are so obese..ya know how cheese digests! remember folks; you are but three meals away from complete chaos! eat what you can grow and be far healthier.. go vegan and beat the system!
antoman | Nov 06, 2010, 08:39 AM EDT
A subtle hint to potential Irish immigrants to America.Once you get there eat cheese before retiring to bed,after all, to realise the American dream you have to be asleep :) Things are real bad here in Ireland alright,the woman what reads the news on RTE has worn the same outfit five times in the space of four weeks.And in a school near me it was reported that one little boy arrived to school five minutes after his brother and was late.They both had boiled eggs for breakfast and when questioned by the teacher as to how if both had boiled eggs for breakfast how is it they had'nt arrived to school together,the little boy reply'd that he had to wait for his brother to finish using the spoon before he could have his boiled egg.Any dissent will be met with the cry,,'Stop that mans mouth with cheese!!'