Debate contribution: Child Poverty

Debate contribution by Mr Danny Baker on 14 October 2025.

MLA

Mr Danny Baker

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

14 October 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Child Poverty

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5181061

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Members who tabled this important motion. In my time in the Assembly, we have had a number of motions highlighting the need to tackle child poverty. Sadly, the current anti-poverty strategy is another false dawn for hard-pressed families in the North. I will be clear from the outset: it is the Minister for Communities' anti-poverty strategy. This Minister simply took all the well-researched and co-designed work of his predecessor, Deirdre Hargey, and threw it in the bin. The key stakeholders are all of the same opinion: the current anti-poverty strategy will make no tangible difference to people's lives. Not only is there no consensus on the Minister's plan; there is absolute opposition to it. Organisations and individuals wrote to him outlining their concerns, but it seems that this Minister believes that the experts are wrong and his lacklustre plan is right. Whilst we in this place are under harsh financial constraints imposed by London, we could make important interventions that could have a significant impact on people's lives. My private Member's Bill to end holiday hunger is one step in the right direction in tackling child poverty. I hope to see my private Member's Bill in the Chamber very soon, and I hope that it will receive support from every corner of the House. We know that, when children are more food-secure, their educational attainment goes up and reliance on food programmes, such as food banks, reduces. Whilst ending holiday hunger is not a panacea for ending child poverty, it is at least an opportunity to support 90,000 children during the school holidays. This is a real, tangible change that we in the Chamber can make that would positively impact on people's lives. However, when it comes to legislation, we have already seen missed opportunities this week. The Education Minister's uniform Bill could have been a game changer for children and families. Sadly —.

Yes.

Deirdre Hargey's work was blocked at a certain point in the Executive. That is something that the Minister could probably outline in his closing remarks. The Education Minister's uniform Bill could, through amendments, have gone a lot further in ensuring equality and reducing costs. We could have been using the best practice that has worked elsewhere in the North across the board, delivering a comfortable, inclusive uniform for less than the price of a uniform grant. Let us be clear: the DUP has no interest in tackling the real issues that are putting families under pressure. All Ministers have budgets. They must prioritise: they cannot always blame and hide behind the Executive. My private Member's Bill will at least be a piece of the puzzle to end child poverty, and, with the support of the House, it can be delivered in time for next summer.

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

Assessment

Not qualifying

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:36 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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