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

Debate contribution by Mr Colm Gildernew on 13 April 2026.

MLA: Mr Colm Gildernew
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 13 April 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill: Second Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5483822

Text

I start by congratulating my colleague Danny Baker on bringing forward the Bill, which has the potential to transform so many lives for the better. Child poverty is a real issue, and it is one that we have debated many times in the Chamber. However, for all those debates, we have not been able to get to grips with the problem. The most up-to-date poverty and income inequality report puts relative child poverty at 23%, or almost one in four. If that statistic does not act as a wake-up call for each and every one of us, I am not sure what will. In practical terms, that means that one in every four children in our society is not being given a fair and equal chance to grow, develop and thrive. As my colleagues outlined, children who grow up in poverty are more likely to underachieve in school and go on to have worse outcomes as adults when it comes to employment, health and a whole host of other areas. The cost-of-living crisis in recent years has had a devastating impact, especially on lower-income families, and we have seen a sharp rise in the number of parents with young children who are relying on food banks. The illegal US/Israeli war in Iran has caused energy prices to skyrocket, and working families are paying the price once again, with families having to choose between heating and eating and children bearing the brunt of the pain. According to experts, the cost of dealing with poverty lies somewhere between £825 million and £1 billion every year. That is the cost of inactivity. We need to urgently shift towards preventing poverty, which is exactly what the Bill is about, rather than simply mitigating the impacts. We all know that we are in a very challenging financial situation, but we need to view the Bill as a measure that will lead to significant savings in the long term. Holiday hunger payments for free school meal-entitled children were in place from July 2020 until March 2023 and provided families with a payment of £27 per child every fortnight during school holiday periods. That small but significant payment was a lifeline for so many families who struggle with the extra costs associated with school holiday periods. The decision to remove those payments in March 2023 was the wrong decision, because it served only to push vulnerable families and parents into even deeper poverty and hardship. This Member's Bill will seek to remedy that by reinstating the payment and delivering immediate support to hard-pressed parents and their children at a time when it is most needed. As the Bill sponsor has acknowledged, the Bill is not a silver bullet, and other effective anti-poverty measures absolutely need to be taken.
I will. Go ahead.
Yes, I absolutely agree. The sector and all the experts in this area will tell us that direct payments to families have the greatest impact. In light of that, I welcome the recent decision by the British Government to scrap the two-child limit, which will also contribute to a reduction in child poverty levels. However, we need to see a significantly strengthened anti-poverty strategy being brought forward with urgency. It must include measurable outcomes and targets and have a much greater focus on preventing poverty. Dealing with poverty, particularly child poverty, is, of course, a cross-departmental and cross-government task, and that should spur Departments to ask, "What can we do?" rather than finding a reason not to do something. That is the spirit in which this is, I think, very relevant for the Education Department. I once again thank Danny for all the hard work that he has done to bring the Bill this far. I know that there is a lot of work involved in that.
The Bill sponsor has made it clear that he has very narrow criteria for making a difference. It is for the Minister to make decisions on how that money is allocated. However, the Bill will have a direct and practical effect by lifting families out of very serious poverty, and, in that sense, I think that it is a great piece of work. I encourage all parties to give the Bill a fair hearing and to work with Danny, as he has offered, and Sinn Féin to ensure that we can get the Bill over the line in the current mandate.
There are thousands of children out there in our communities who deserve a fair chance in life. We all have a duty to do our best by those children, and that is why we need the Bill.

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

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