Minister Naughton announces expansion of Summer Meals Programme for Young People
- Published on: 25 May 2026
- Last updated on: 25 May 2026
Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has today announced the expansion of the Summer Holiday Meals Pilot Programme for 2026, building on the success of last year’s initiative to support young people during the school summer holidays.
The programme, first introduced in 2025, will receive increased funding of €600,000 in 2026, up from €500,000 last year. This additional investment will enable the programme to expand from 41 to 77 UBU Your Place Your Space (UBU)-funded youth services, operating across all 16 education and training boards (ETBs).
The 2026 programme will begin on 2 June 2026 and will provide hot or substantial meals to young people aged 10 to 18 attending participating UBU youth services throughout the summer months.
Announcing the expansion, Minister Naughton said:
“The Summer Meals Programme was an important initiative in the UBU sector in 2025, and the evaluation of the pilot has clearly demonstrated its positive impact on tackling food poverty and supporting young people through youth work services.
“I am very pleased to confirm that the programme will continue in 2026 with increased funding of €600,000, allowing us to expand participation from 41 to 77 youth services across the country.
“I want to sincerely thank the education and training boards and youth services involved for their continued commitment to supporting the wellbeing of young people in their communities.
“The experience of last year’s pilot, together with the findings of the independent evaluation, will help shape the future development of this programme. Ensuring that young people have access to nutritious food during the summer months is an important part of supporting their wellbeing, development and participation.”
The Summer Holiday Meals Pilot Programme forms part of the Government’s wider commitment to tackling child poverty. The initiative was developed in partnership between the Department of Education and Youth and the Child Poverty and Wellbeing Office in the Department of the Taoiseach.
The 2025 pilot supported over 5,000 young people who were at risk of going without a hot or substantial meal during school holidays. Delivered through UBU-funded youth services, meals were provided in trusted community settings throughout June, July and August.
An independent evaluation of the 2025 pilot, commissioned by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), found strong evidence of the programme’s positive impact and recommended its continuation and further development, including consideration of a permanent scheme.
The expansion to 77 participating youth services and increased capacity in existing services will enable a 90 per cent rise in programme reach, ensuring that more young people across Ireland can benefit from access to nutritious meals in supportive youth work environments.
The Summer Holiday Meals Pilot Programme will run throughout summer 2026, continuing to support young people in communities across Ireland who may otherwise lack access to a hot or filling meal while schools are closed.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
List of participating locations in 2026
