Letter from Brian Gallagher to Robert Briscoe¹ (Dublin)

A Theachta a chara,
I am directed by the Minister for External Affairs to refer to your letter of the 19th November, and subsequent conversations relative to the gift of Kosher meat for orthodox Jewish communities in Europe.

As indicated in this Department's letter of the 17th November,² the considerations which moved the Irish Government to make a gift of Kosher meat to these communities have not the same force in the case of Jews who are not precluded on religious grounds from eating non-Kosher meat. On the other hand it would appear that the scheme, contrary to the estimates on which it was based, has resulted only in the production of approximately 680,000 lbs. of Kosher meat. While regretting that the scheme has accordingly produced less Kosher meat than was originally estimated, the Minister feels that non-Kosher meat which has resulted therefrom, and which of course must be canned, should be distributed by reference to considerations of greatest need.

In all the circumstances, therefore, the Minister regrets that he is unable to adopt the suggestion that any proportion of the non-Kosher meat canned under this scheme should be reserved for non-orthodox Jewish communities.