Debate contribution: Emergency Food Parcels for Children

Debate contribution by Mr Danny Baker on 27 January 2025.

MLA

Mr Danny Baker

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

27 January 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Emergency Food Parcels for Children

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4759205

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Members for tabling this important motion. Many families, children and young people are being impacted on by the increasing cost of living. Rising food, energy and transport costs are having a profoundly negative impact on many. As a result of those pressures, families with children and young people have had to cut back on the essentials. The attainment gap between children and young people who grow up in poverty and their peers starts early and lasts throughout their school years. Early intervention and preventative action are needed urgently to help tackle child poverty. Every effort should be made to reduce the cost of sending children and young people to school and to remove the barriers faced by children and young people who live in poverty. The facts on the ground do not lie. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of parcels distributed by food banks, representing a record level of need. Families and children are over-represented in the numbers who turn to food banks. The demand for emergency food for children and young people increases during school holidays due to extra financial pressures. In April 2023, as a result of budget cuts, funding for the school holiday food grant scheme ended. The Trussell Trust reported that it gave 49% more food parcels to families in July and August of that year. The provision of free school meals enables many children to access a nutritious meal, which, in some cases, is their main meal of the day. That brings with it a range of physical and mental health benefits, as well as educational benefits, as it puts children in the best position to learn. I have submitted a private Member's Bill that aims to directly support children and young people entitled to free school meals and their families throughout the school holidays. Mr Durkan talked about how we should look at what we can do, so I hope that everyone can support that Bill when it is introduced. There is much work ahead of us that we must do. Important steps must be taken. Ultimately, legislation is needed to make that long-term commitment so that children who need free school meals and their families are supported to ensure that they get the nutrition that they need to fulfil their potential. Tackling poverty, social exclusion and patterns of deprivation that are based on objective need are woven into the Good Friday Agreement. The Executive need to work together across all Departments, as that requirement was outlined in that agreement.

I look forward to the day when food banks and emergency food parcels are a thing of the past and we collectively end holiday hunger.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:50 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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