School holiday food poverty debated

There are local families who can only afford small amounts of food on the table for their children. That’s according to Cllr Patricia Walsh (FF) who brought forward a notice of motion asking members to “discuss school holiday food poverty”.

Cllr Walsh highlighted the importance of school meals and said she was very aware of children and teenager’s needs when it came to food consumption.

“I have grandchildren and they’d eat you out of house and home,” she continued.

“The reality is, now, there are families out there that can only afford to put small amounts of food on the table and who may need help now that we are coming into the summer holidays.”

Cllr John Paul Feeley (FF) lent his full support to the motion and pointed to how local area representatives often get “a unique insight” into families around them. “I know from speaking to some, they would prefer, or are at least open to, an application being made to schools for the availability of funding and other supports,” he said.

“There are families being left in a precarious situation during school holidays.”

All councillors subsequently agreed to write to the Minister for Education about the matter.