Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Mrs Michelle Guy on .
- MLA
- Mrs Michelle Guy
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5743040
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The Bill comes to us at Consideration Stage after scrutiny at the Education Committee. I state from the outset that I remain supportive of the principles of the Bill and its central proposition that children entitled to free school meals during term time should receive support during school holidays. In my role, I often think about where is the right place to put our energy: looking at the shameful child poverty figures in Northern Ireland, I think that this is a good place to put our energy. It is a shame, therefore, that the Minister decided that it was not worth his energy today. I thank those who engaged with the Committee, including the departmental officials who provided specific legislative issues that needed to be addressed. Evidence to the Committee addressed a number of the issues highlighted at Second Stage. Clause 1 amends article 58 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. It will put into legislation the need for the Department to make financial payments during relevant periods to the parents of those eligible for free school meals. The arrangements in the Bill, as noted in the original 1986 Order, remain with the Department. Therefore, the Bill, even if amended, will not dictate the amount of money that the Department will provide to families. That remains in the power of the Department. Amendment No 8 is being made on advice from the Department that meal costs vary and there are no fixed costs to be used as an equivalent. Therefore, the Department holds the power to set that figure. We, of course, have implemented a holiday food payment before. The summer food payment grant ran from July 2020 to March 2023. Advice NI referenced the fact that we therefore have first-hand evidence of the impact that such a payment can have on families. In evidence to the Committee, Advice NI referenced the fact that, while the grant was operational, its advisers made fewer referrals to food banks during the summer months; when the payment was removed, it saw referrals to food banks increase significantly again. While I do not want to rerun the Second Stage debate, it is worth highlighting the question of whether such a payment should sit with the Department of Education. Again, Advice NI provided specific advice to the Committee on that. It noted that, given that the Department of Education had delivered the summer food payment scheme, there was a legislative precedent. That approach has not been challenged. It was endorsed by two previous DUP Education Ministers, and it has been endorsed by the Assembly and the Executive. It therefore noted:
"It would seem to me to be a much riskier proposition to try to deliver this support in any other way than has already been proven in terms of effectiveness and in terms of legal efficacy."
The legislation, of course, does not limit or stop Executive funding from being provided to the Department to implement the payment. Many of those who provided evidence to the Committee outlined it as a children's health issue and an anti-poverty intervention. However, there is no doubt that it is about education as well. The evidence on the relationship between hunger and educational attainment is clear: children who are food insecure during holiday periods return to school in September less ready to learn. Their concentration, behaviour and ability to engage are all affected by inadequate nutrition. Children in Northern Ireland emphasised that addressing holiday hunger should be viewed as a preventative investment with potential to save in the long term. The other issue that has been raised before is that there is no guarantee that the payment will be spent directly on food for children. A number of front-line organisations were asked that question directly. The Northern Ireland Women's Budget Group cited expert evidence from Independent Food Aid Network that cash-first crisis payments promote dignity and autonomy, enabling parents and families to meet their needs efficiently and flexibly. Children in Northern Ireland made the important point about scale. A cash-first approach enables us to scale support in a cost-efficient way. I do not think that anyone doubts, especially after hearing evidence from Advice NI, the clear impact that the previous scheme had and that the payments would make a significant difference; therefore, we should focus on scale. As the Committee was told and as we all know, many households, including working households, are in poverty not because they spend their money recklessly but because they simply have insufficient income in a world that has become more expensive to live in. At clause 1, if amended, the new paragraph (1B) notes that:
" Article 58(1A) applies to parents of pupils who are in receipt of free school meals, determined in accordance with arrangements approved by the Department."
That is another issue that was raised at previous stages of the Bill. There is no doubt that many families are struggling and would benefit from the payments, but they do not qualify for free school meals under the current arrangements made by the Department of Education. That should be recognised and acknowledged. Ultimately, when we consider the legislation, we are considering something that would do a lot of good. It would support families that are struggling during a time when the cost of living is especially acute. In short, it is a good place to put our energy. I endorse the Bill's moving to the next stage of the legislative process.
911 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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