In recent weeks, I have raised the subject of bringing back the holiday hunger pilot programme, which was run in 2025, this year. This follows on from the large amount of debate and discussion we have all had on the hot school meals programme. We learned at the joint committee on education, as I mentioned here the week before last, that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul had 112,000 requests for food assistance last year. Food poverty is still a massive issue among our children.

Therefore, I was absolutely delighted to hear that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, who is working very hard on everything to do with the hot school meals programme, alongside the Minister, Deputy Naughton, is extending the holiday hunger pilot programme into this year. This will mean that 42,000 children receive a hot school meal. Today is 9 June and we are very close to the summer holidays. I very much welcome that we know this is happening as we go forward and that it is not left waiting until the last few weeks. It is very important that the scheme be provided at Christmastime and Easter time.

The children hungry during the school year are the same children who are hungry at Christmas, at Easter and during the summer. It is great that 42,000 children will get this but there are plenty more who need it. We are serving 300,000 children through the hot school meals programme as it is.

I welcome it but we need to look at it further. I would welcome a debate with the Minister on it and on many other things to do with child food poverty and hot school meals. I would like us not to be sitting here next year waiting to know if it is going to be announced. I ask that in this budget we roll it out for the next few years and continue from there.