MLAs lament unacceptable child poverty rate in Derry with 9,000 poor children

SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin said child poverty rates were among the highest in the UK.

"I come from a constituency where the child poverty rate sits at 23 per cent - one of the highest in the UK. We have talked about the regional balance of our economy, but surely we need interventions in areas most affected by poverty,” said Ms. McLaughlin during a private members’ debate at Stormont.

Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson said: “As a colleague on my left mentioned, in my constituency in Derry, more than 9,000 children live in poverty, which is over 23 per cent. What does that mean? It means our young people living in cold homes. Some go to bed hungry, go to school hungry in the morning and miss out on everyday essentials. That is totally unacceptable and shocking.”