A Belfast councillor has called for the return of holiday hunger payments as many families are going without food during school breaks.
Holiday hunger payments, also known as the School Holiday Food Grant, were discontinued in Northern Ireland on March 31, 2023. The payments were made to families of children who were eligible for free school meals.
The scheme provided £27 per child every two weeks during school holidays including Christmas, Easter, mid term, and the summer break. The Department of Education stopped the scheme due to budgetary pressures.
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Foodstock founder Paul Doherty has said that many parents are struggling to put food on the table during the half-term holidays. The community solidarity hub is providing packed lunches and other support to families this week.
Mr Doherty, who is also a Belfast City councillor for West Belfast, is calling on the Executive to restore holiday hunger payments and introduce an anti-poverty strategy to ensure that parents are supported during school holidays.
He said: “School breaks and holidays, including the mid-term break have been marked months in advance on our calendar as we recognise that we need a response in the community when it comes to parents struggling to provide for their children while off school. At Foodstock, we have made lunch packs containing fresh fruit and snacks to try to alleviate what parents are experiencing this week - but this is only a sticking plaster to what is really going in in homes across the North.
“There is immense pressure on parents when it comes to keeping up with meals and the sad reality is that we are hearing of parents going without just to ensure that their children do not go hungry.
“It's been over a year since we have saw the return of a Stormont government here and despite parties promising action on holiday hunger and bringing forward motions, we are no further along. We have seen little to no action when it comes to the issue impacting most in our communities right now - poverty.
“One in five children are living in poverty here - why hasn't this been made a priority by the First and deputy First Minister? This Executive has a legal obligation to have an Anti-poverty Strategy in place and people working on the ground in communities feel badly let down while all we get from Stormont is silence.”
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