Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker has introduced the Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The bill aims to reinstate payments of £27 per child every fortnight for families of children eligible for free school meals during school holidays.

The Department of Education ended the school holiday food grants in March 2023 due to insufficient funds. From July 2020 to that date, the grants reached families of 90,000 eligible children over summer, Easter, Christmas, and half-term breaks. Eligibility applies to households with income below £15,390 annually.

Dr Mark Browne, then permanent secretary at the Department of Education, described the decision to end the grants as his most difficult. The new bill carries an estimated initial annual cost of £20 million.

Aine Leslie, principal of Malone Integrated College, supports the bill. More than half of the school's 750 pupils qualify for free school meals. She stated that school provides a reliable source of food for many pupils and that holidays increase pressure on struggling families.

Staff at the school raised £3,000 last Christmas to supply supermarket vouchers to families in need. Leslie noted that the payments would offer practical support to vulnerable children during term breaks.

David Thompson, principal of Dungannon Primary School, where about a third of 320 pupils qualify for free meals, called support for families crucial. He highlighted needs among families above the eligibility threshold and questioned whether holiday payments represent the best use of strained education budgets.

Baker drew from youth work experiences to motivate the bill, including a case of a seven-year-old boy taking food home for siblings. He anticipates assembly debate before the 2027 election.

A Department of Education spokesperson confirmed executive funding enabled the original grants until March 2023. The department maintains free school meals for low-income families and collaborates on tackling holiday hunger.