Debate contribution: Free School Meals Provision

Debate contribution by Mr Nick Mathison on 25 November 2025.

MLA

Mr Nick Mathison

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

25 November 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Free School Meals Provision

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5259047

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I support the motion. Notwithstanding a challenging Budget picture, which I have no doubt that the Minister will speak to, as has Gary Middleton, Alliance has long been supportive of wider provision of free school meals in Northern Ireland. We are happy to support the motion on that basis. Last year, I was pleased to sponsor the UNISON free school meals campaign event, which took place here in Parliament Buildings and recognised the work of that campaign, which began in 2021. In many ways, today's motion is very much indebted to that UNISON free school meals campaign. As everyone has highlighted already, we all know the importance of ensuring that children are in school, properly nourished and ready to learn. Unfortunately, that is not a reality that can be guaranteed for all children in our schools. Teachers will regularly speak of children whom they know will come into school not having had breakfast or who arrive at school without an adequate lunch having been provided. There is no doubt that that has a hugely detrimental effect on a child's ability to learn and to concentrate, and that is not an acceptable scenario that we want for any of our children. The system that we have in Northern Ireland for free school meal provision is not ideal either. Parents must reapply each year, even if their circumstances have not changed. Eligibility is based around the receipt of social security benefits and income thresholds that often do not reflect the true impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Nor, indeed, does it reach all those children who are most in need. A number of reports show that current provision for free school meals often does not get to the children who need it most, and the research commissioned by the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People set out the concerning fact that 41% of children in poverty are not, in fact, eligible for free school meals, and 66% of children who are eligible for free school meals are not, in fact, in poverty. That is not a picture that any of us should be relaxed about in 2025. Those are incredibly concerning statistics. Despite assurances from the Minister of Education and the Minister for Communities that work would be undertaken to properly scope out auto-enrolment for those who are eligible for free school meals — a practical intervention that could address some of the difficulties around the need to reapply every year — it is not clear how that has been progressed, if at all. I would welcome clarity from the Minister on whether there is any live work ongoing on that issue, because, while budgets are tight, practical and pragmatic interventions that can improve the picture are always welcome, and I do not think that data sharing or bureaucracy should be a barrier to getting free school meal provision to those children who need it most. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the extremely challenging budgetary position that the Department is facing. Gary Middleton has already set that out. However, the Children's Commissioner's briefing on free school meal eligibility does set out some key recommendations on how we can begin to distribute provision on a phased basis, looking perhaps at interventions that could impact on younger children first, ensuring that the youngest children in our school system could receive at least one nutritious meal a day at school, and to help overcome the stigma associated with free school meals. That could then be expanded to older children as budget allows. I do not pretend that any of that can be delivered overnight. I do not think that anybody here believes that we are in a budgetary position where that sort of money is available. However, setting a direction of travel and planning to deliver over a planned phased period is work that we should, surely, all get behind. The financial challenge has already been raised by a Member. It is important that the Minister does not just set out the scale of the challenge in his budget but that we hear about his plans for transformation within the education system that would deliver savings and approaches to deliver our education system more effectively. It will come as no surprise to anybody that, in the Alliance Party, we consistently highlight the issues of a divided education system and of a school estate that, we know, simply has too many schools and schools that are not in the right place. We need to see an agenda for how we can run that system more efficiently. The issues around the Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 are also relevant. It is not simply a matter for the Education Minister, and I have no doubt that he will set that out in his remarks. It requires an approach across all Departments; in particular, I highlight Health and Communities. Andy Allen's intervention about taking an invest-to-save approach was very helpful. For me, this feels like one of those issues where that is entirely appropriate. I am happy to support today's motion, and I hope that it gets support across the House. I do not underestimate the scale of the budget challenges, but I ask that we look at ambitious plans for transformation within the education system and a planned, phased approach for delivering on the issue.

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

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