MAC SEÁIN condemns DUP Delay on child hunger

People before Profit belief the Holiday Meal Payments Bill is in jeopardy after DUP's Paul Givan as Education Minister has proposed amendments which would give him power to delay implementation.

As originally proposed the bill would help poorer families with the cost of food by giving a payment to families on free school meals during holidays.

Givan has warned it would cost his department a further £20m annually

People Before Profit have indicated they will oppose the amendments in the Stormont Assembly.

People Before Profit's Newry & Armagh Rep Marc Mac Seáin said that struggling families still need to feed their kids during the school holidays

"More than 90,000 kids here are entitled to free school meals. I got them myself. During Covid we had a holiday food grant, but that was scrapped in 2023. Struggling families still need to feed their kids during holidays regardless. I've heard stories of kids in Newry being given potatoes at afterschool activities to take home to ensure they get a dinner.

"Whilst the minister says the £20m spent is unaffordable, it's only around 0.6% of his department budget. If we can spend £5m on policing at Drumcree, in a complete waste, why can't we find the money to stop child hunger? The Education authority has a taxi bill which has doubled to almost £40m annually, with private operators paid up to £83/ mile. At the same time our public transport infrastructure hangs on by a threat too.

"Stormont is failing working class families. We need universal free school meals for every child, family who want them. We shouldn't have means-testing at all. We urge every MLA to block these amendments, keep the proposed deadline and make sure no child goes hungry."