The Government tried to help in lots of ways during the famine. In 1845 Indian meal (maize) was imported from the US and sold cheaply to the local population. Throughout 1846/47 relief committees set up work schemes providing paid work for the poor. In 1847 the relief works closed and were replaced by soup kitchens. By the end of 1847 the soup kitchens were replaced by outdoor relief schemes, where cooked food was distributed from workhouses to the poor.