Debate contribution: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Jon Burrows on 13 April 2026.

MLA

Mr Jon Burrows

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

13 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5483640

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I will keep my comments broad and high-level. I thank the Bill sponsor for bringing it to the House. The intent is noble, and the debate is necessary. It is something that we should discuss. I will, therefore, support the Bill's progress to the next stage so that we can give it proper scrutiny. However, scrutiny it does need. Let me just say this at the outset: there is no greater issue than dealing with young people — our future — the most vulnerable and those who are hungry. I used to be a food bank volunteer before I came into politics. We used to go round with hampers of food. It was really humbling when the door opened and a child took the food from your hand. They were literally waiting for that food in order to have their meal. There were many days when I left a home feeling almost ashamed at the situation in which I found myself in society; you have so much and are giving something to people who have literally nothing and are waiting for the doorbell to ring for you to feed them. Of course, there are the long-term impacts of not getting quality, nutritious meals on your education, health and the age to which you live. We know that there are places where people live 10 years longer than somebody who lives round the corner because of health inequalities and poverty. It has an impact on the justice system. All the poverty stuff has a longer-term impact. Nobody could argue that we should not make sure that our children and young people get nutritious meals every day. Clearly, there is a gap when someone needs support during term time but suddenly cannot get it during holiday time. Therefore, there is almost a logical appeal to what Mr Baker has put forward. That is why we will vote to let the Bill go through to the scrutiny stage. We need to scrutinise the Bill, because, of course, the Chamber does not have a universally great record of considering unintended consequences. There are some issues, such as whether the payments will have an impact on someone's universal credit payments. Some people do not want to say this, but I will say it: some parents — just a few — are irresponsible. The majority of parents are responsible. There are parents who are millionaires and are irresponsible, and there are parents who have nothing but are responsible. It is nothing to do with money; it is a fact that some parents can be irresponsible. We need to make sure that, if the state is to intervene and give money to people for their children's food, it actually ends up in their children's mouths. That is a sensible step to take. We should not shy away from that. We are legislators, after all. Mr Mathison raised a good point about the fact that there are children whose parents are just under the threshold. They do not get free school meals all the way through term time, and, suddenly, not only will they not get them then but those who get them will continue to get them during the summer. That is another thing that we need to work through and be sure that we are doing the right thing.

I will give way to Mr Baker.

Sometimes I am puzzled by this place. I will come on to that in a second when I talk about puzzles. The Bill has a noble intent. It is on a very important issue. We can look at it in detail at the Education Committee, but we need to scrutinise it and make sure that it is affordable and that it is not just a good use of money but the best use of money, because that money comes from somewhere else. There is no such thing as paying Peter and not taking from Paul. The money has to come from somewhere. Where will it come from? Should it come from more places than just the Education budget? Are we to have a multi-year Budget? Will all those things be decided?

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:18 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification