Councillor urges Causeway Coast & Glens to become a Right to Food Council

At a Leisure and Development Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 17, SDLP Councillor Ashleen Schenning proposed the council join other local authorities, such as Belfast City Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council, in formally backing the Right to Food campaign.

The Right to Food campaign was spearheaded by MP Ian Byrne and seeks to work with local and national organisations, as well as community campaigners, to make access to food a legal right for all.

Councillor Schenning said both the Northern Ireland Executive and British Government must “prioritise food poverty by implementing a range of new measures including universal free school meals, and support for community kitchens” and also proposed writing to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons calling for immediate action on the implementation of an anti-poverty strategy.

Councillor Schenning said the food poverty crisis was being experienced by “many, many citizens right across our communities right now”, but she believed it wasn’t an inevitability.

“Members will know that this situation in each of our areas is worsening day by day and food banks, charities and community organisations are often at the forefront, [so we must] call upon the Government to enshrine the right to food for all through legislation.”

Fellow SDLP Cllr Margaret-Anne McKillop seconded the motion and argued that no person should need to rely on foodbanks in 2024. “I have seen first-hand the issues that individuals and families face right now,” Cllr McKillop added.

“It is unacceptable that one in five children experience food poverty here and that a large percentage of households are unable to afford the basic items. Enough is enough.

“As a council, we have responsibility to tackle poverty and hold the executive to account for failing to implement an anti -poverty strategy.”

Director of Leisure and Development, Pat Mulvenna, suggested inviting representatives from either the Northern Ireland Anti-poverty Network or the Equality Coalition to present the “key asks for an anti -poverty strategy”.

Ms Mulvenna concluded: “We would also propose increasing the visibility of the council’s [existing] anti-poverty action plans, including the resources which are currently available to those experiencing poverty.”