Minister Helen McEntee welcomes new Summer Meals Pilot to help tackle holiday hunger
- Published on: 3 June 2025
- Last updated on: 3 June 2025
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee has today welcomed the commencement of a new pilot programme that will provide meals to young people during the school summer holidays.
Beginning today, the Summer 2025 Holiday Meals Pilot Programme is designed to support young people who may not have access to a hot or filling meal when schools are closed. The pilot will run in a select number of UBU Your Place Your Space youth services in June, July, and August this year and is part of the government’s wider plan to end child poverty.
The programme is being developed by the Department of Education and Youth, working closely with the Child Poverty and Well-Being Office in the Department of the Taoiseach.
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee said:
“When schools close for the summer, some young people lose access to regular hot meals. This pilot programme will help make sure that doesn’t happen this summer. This programme is about looking after children and young people, especially those who need extra support during the school holidays.
"I am extremely grateful to the youth services and staff taking part in this important work. Their support will make a tangible difference to the lives of so many young people this summer."
The meals will be provided through UBU Your Place Your Space, a national scheme that funds youth services for young people aged 10 to 24. These services support young people who may be vulnerable or facing difficult life situations.
Across 16 education and training board (ETB) areas, 41 UBU-funded youth services have signed up to take part in the pilot. They will try out different ways of giving meals to young people, including:
- having meals prepared and delivered
- cooking meals on-site at youth centres
An independent evaluator, hired by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), will review how the pilot works from start to finish. This will help decide if the programme should be expanded in future years.
The pilot programme will officially begin today, 3 June 2025.
