Holiday hunger bill to face final Stormont hurdle

Community and voluntary groups have been publicly supportive of the Holiday Meal Payments Bill, with some staging a demonstration at Stormont on Monday

A proposed law which would help poorer families with food costs during school holidays is to face its final hurdle in the Northern Ireland Assembly later on Tuesday.

Some parents and charities have welcomed the Holiday Meal Payments Bill, external, which was brought forward by Sinn Féin's Danny Baker.

It would create a new payment for families whose children receive free school meals, which would be made outside of term time to help with the cost of food.

But Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Education Minister Paul Givan has been consistently critical of the legislation, warning it will immediately cost his budget £20m a year at a time when all departments are struggling financially.

The Holiday Meal Payments Bill was brought forward by Sinn Féin' assembly member Danny Baker

Baker said he was motivated to introduce it by some of his experiences of breakfast clubs and meal schemes in youth work.

"There was a young boy, about the same age of my youngest, around seven years old," he explained.

"He was filling his wee pockets up and we caught on to this.

"To cut a long story short, he was bringing home food for his siblings because there just wasn't enough food in the house."

Baker said all ministers had choices to make and the legislation alone could not solve child poverty, but would act as an "early intervention".

Children are eligible for free school meals if their family's household income is below £15,390 a year.

Northern Ireland is the only UK region without government-funded holiday food support, after the Department of Education (DE) ended its £27-per-fortnight holiday meal grant in 2023.

Baker's legislation was introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly in March and has been scrutinised by members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) on a number of occasions over the past nine months.

Louise McCullough is a mum-of-three who cannot afford to work full time because of the cost of childcare

Community and voluntary groups have been publicly supportive of the bill, with some staging a demonstration at Stormont on Monday in a bid to urge MLAs to get it over the finish line.

Louise McCullough, a mum-of-three from east Belfast, was among those who spoke at the event.

She said her children receive free school meals and that she would be directly affected by the legislation.

"There are so many working families who need this, it will change their lives and be massively impactful," she told BBC News NI.

"I can't afford to work full time because of the cost of childcare, and the cost of living.

"We have to do what we can and schemes like free school meals make a difference but so much more needs done... if you can't find money for hungry children what are you doing?

"Our government should be scaffolding our families properly."

Edel Diamond is from the South West Belfast Foodbank said the new law would make a big difference to the families she comes across

Edel Diamond from the South West Belfast Foodbank said organisations like hers had been "filling in the gaps" to help struggling families.

"We shouldn't have to - it's incumbent on our executive to put these initiatives forward," she said.

"This will make such a difference to families we're seeing daily."

Paul Givan has previously warned that his department does not have funding for the scheme

Paul Givan has previously warned that his department does not have funding for the scheme, so MLAs would be voting to cut education spending if they support it.

Last month, his department tabled amendments that would have given him power to delay its implementation, but these were rejected by a majority of parties.

On Monday, Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson accused Sinn Féin of "reckless irresponsibility" over the proposed legislation.

He branded the bill an "absurdity" when Stormont's finances were "already overstretched", but Sinn Féin argued it would give families "much-needed support".

Robinson added: "This minister is already having to cut his cloth in a way that's going to be difficult and damaging for families."

Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows said his party would not support the bill, saying that it was "undermining" the executive's case for asking London for additional funding to solve its budget impasse.

Although the DUP and UUP are set to vote against the bill on Tuesday, Sinn Féin is expected to have enough support from Alliance and SDLP MLAs to ensure the bill passes.

'You have to say no': Families struggling with holiday food costs