‘Shocking’ poverty levels raised as Foyle Food Bank distributes 3,500 food parcels

The proposal was brought forward by Foyleside People Before Profit District Councillor Shaun Harkin at a reconvened Full Council Meeting on Thursday, November 23.

It stated that Foyle Food Bank distributed almost 3,500 food parcels between April and September this year.

It outlined Council plans to write to Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris, and demand the ‘reversal of punitive budgets, for holiday hunger payments to be reinstated, and for urgent adequate funding for discretionary housing support.’

Colr. Harkin said he was ‘alarmed’ by Foyle Food Bank’s findings.

He was also concerned that there was ‘less focus’ in the media about the cost of living crisis.

“Perhaps there’s a sense that we’re moving out of the worst of the crisis, and the food banks have been overwhelmed by demand.

“As we head into winter, the pressures on families across the district will mount and we still have no government, so there’s very little help for people.

“We’re in a situation where workers aren’t being given decent pay rises, teachers are going on strike and there are many people struggling on inadequate benefits.

“We need to continue to highlight that people have been plunged into hardship over the last number of years.

“The point of the motion is that Council can point people in the direction of help that’s available, be it charities or government.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Christopher Jackson said: “The work by FFB is invaluable, but it’s a sad reflection of where we’re at.

"That we rely so heavily on food banks and social supermarkets for our citizens to just simply survive.

"This is a direct result of policy from London. There’s a drive towards inflicting poverty on people, protecting the elites, and attacking public services and those relying on benefits or on lower incomes.”

UUP Alderman Ryan McCready said: “With Christmas, the cold weather and other hardships that will be endured, it is to be welcomed.

“We can point score with politics all day long, but it doesn’t change people’s circumstances.”

SDLP Councillor Rory Farrell said: “The system is broken. The safety net the Tory administration is meant to provide doesn’t provide much safety at all.

“They are devoid of compassion, of any concept of reality at all or any understanding of what normal people face, and the benefits system is simply unacceptable.”

In a separate proposal, SDLP Councillor Catherine McDaid urged the Council to back a campaign to make Derry a 'Right to Food City'.

Colr. McDaid pointed out that 345,000 people in the North experienced food insecurity in the last year, and said the campaign would include universal free school meals, support for community kitchens and 'enshrining the right to food for all' through legislation.

She said: “Food poverty means they ran out of food, had to eat a reduced meal size or went hungry or lost weight due to a lack of money.

“It leads to physical and emotional problems and leads to reduced life expectancy and a poorer quality of life.

“Families are having to make more difficult decisions; it's not 'heat or eat' anymore, it's 'can we even eat?' and this is across the board.”