Debate contribution: Holiday Hunger

Debate contribution by Mr Danny Baker on 19 March 2024.

MLA: Mr Danny Baker
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 19 March 2024
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Holiday Hunger
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 4279602

Text

I beg to move
Children and young people deserve the best start in life. As workers and families continue to face financial pressures, our most disadvantaged children are paying the price. Savage Tory cuts to vital programmes in schools, such as holiday hunger payments, Healthy Happy Minds, the Engage programme and extended schools, have targeted the most vulnerable children and young people. Along with the rising costs of school meals, uniforms and transport, those cuts have left workers and families in crisis. We know that children who receive free school meals have lower attendance rates and are more likely to leave school without any GCSEs. We must do all that we can to support our most disadvantaged children, address inequalities and give them every opportunity to flourish in life. Working together across the Chamber, we can stand up collectively and fight back against the toxic Tory cuts that have pushed more and more children into poverty. We can help workers and families and ensure that they no longer have to choose either to heat their home or to feed their children. During school time, schools work hard to take extra steps to ensure that children receive a meal. Some schools provide free breakfast clubs, and others have tried to extend free school meals where possible, but schools cannot do that themselves. Their efforts to feed children have resulted in higher expenses. Some principals have even paid for extra school meals from their own pockets. I commend the small businesses and community and youth groups that have gone over and above to ensure that children do not go hungry over the holidays. In my constituency, local groups, clubs and businesses are supporting schools, helping to give children a breakfast and ensuring that young people are ready to learn. Monkstown Boxing Club has been a shining example in the effort to support children and families. In the past year alone, it has supported many children and families by ensuring that they have meals during the school holidays. As Tory cuts continually let down our young people, our community, youth and sports groups have stepped up during the holidays to feed our children, educate them and ensure that they are safe and happy. Let us commit to ensuring that our schools, community groups and youth clubs no longer have to support children by themselves. Let us commit to working across party lines to deliver real change for our children and young people. I urge the Education Minister, working alongside the Executive, to bring forward a plan to end holiday hunger and give our children every chance to flourish in life. It is the least that our children deserve. I ask Members to support the motion and the amendment.

455 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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