The Sinn Fein MLA wants those entitled to free school meals to be supported during school holidays
The sight of a child taking food to bring home to a sibling has inspired a new Private Member’s Bill aimed at tackling holiday hunger.
One of the newest MLAs in the Stormont Assembly is behind the proposed legislation expected to be debated in the chamber this year.
It is one of a number of Private Member’s Bills that are currently being worked on by MLAs in the hopes of having them passed before the end of this mandate in 2027.
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Sinn Fein West Belfast MLA Danny Baker is proposing that the 90,000 children in Northern Ireland in receipt of free schools meals receive support during the holidays, including summer, Christmas, Halloween and half term breaks.
It is calculated to cost around £22 million a year. That is based around giving parents of children entitled to free school meals the cost of a school meal, which will be just over £3 from January 2026.
Earlier this year the Stormont Executive agreed a draft anti-poverty strategy.
Mr Baker told the Press Association that while his proposed Bill is just one piece of a wider puzzle to tackle poverty, it is an “important piece”.
He said even though it is a fairly small Bill, it has taken almost two years to get to this point, most of the time he has been elected. The former volunteer youth worker said he got involved in elected politics because of young people.
He said he has been involved in projects where breakfast and lunch were provided to young people, and seeing the level of demand out there. Mr Baker recalled at one of the projects seeing an eight-year-old boy who kept filling his pockets with food.
“It turned out that he was bringing food home for his sister,” he said.
“His mummy was out working, she was a single mother, and there just wasn’t enough food in the house over the summer.
“That’s why I really wanted a Private Member’s Bill on this – this has to happen, because this is what is happening out there. I know this Bill won’t reach everyone, but it’s a start, one piece of the puzzle to help support families on the breadline.
“Other legislation needs to come forward, there has to be more focus from some departments on ending child poverty. But we as MLAs have a part to play as well with the legislation that we can bring forward.”
Mr Baker said he is hopeful of getting support from across the chamber for his Bill after wide support for a number of motions in the Assembly against child poverty.
“Everyone is in support of it, so when it comes to the Assembly my argument will be: this is what counts, this is why we’re here, to make big decisions and difficult decisions, because this will take money away from other projects that the minister wants to fund,” he said.
“You can’t support motions all the time, and then when it comes to a big decision, don’t do it. This is where you’ll see where people really stand on big societal issues.”
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