A HOLIDAY Hunger Bill which will support children with meals during school holidays has been passed at Stormont despite opposition from the DUP.

The Bill will support over 90,000 children in the North with nearly 10,000 of those being in West Belfast. It seeks to create a new payment for families whose children receive free school meals to help with food costs outside of term time.

In a lengthy debate in the Assembly on Tuesday evening DUP MLA David Brooks questioned whether the Bill "represents the right way in which to deliver such support", whether it is the responsibility of the Department of Education to deliver it and whether Stormont can afford it.

"I believe that the answer is very clearly no," he said.

West Belfast MLA Danny Baker, who is behind the bill, said as legislators "we must intervene".

"We cannot leave it to the community and voluntary sector all the time. Whether it is Lagmore Youth Project or Monkstown Boxing Club, we cannot leave it to them. We have to make the hard decisions," he said.

"If we want to end child poverty, put children first and level the playing field, that is what we need to do."

UUP leader Jon Burrows said he could not support the Bill for a number of reasons including it being unfunded, and bad public policy to place the Bill on the Department of Education.

SDLP MLA Cara Hunter commended Mr Baker for bringing forward the Bill and said it is the best thing members have in front of them when it comes to tackling holiday hunger.

Sinn Féin MLA Paul Boggs said it was a "straightforward choice".

"We can side with children and families who are struggling through poverty and a cost-of-living crisis or with those who say that helping them is simply too difficult, too expensive and too inconvenient," he said.

Following a four hour debate, the Bill was supported by Sinn Féin, SDLP, Alliance and People Before Profit. It was opposed by the DUP with the UUP not voting and TUV member Timothy Gaston spoiling his vote.

The Bill passed by 49 votes for and 24 against.

Speaking after, Danny Baker MLA said: “This legislation will help deliver much-needed support to families during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

“It represents an important step in supporting 90,000 disadvantaged children and families in our communities.

“I am glad that other progressive parties rejected attempts from the DUP Education Minister Paul Givan – who has opposed this Bill from the outset – and his colleagues in the DUP and other unionists to stop this support for thousands of children who rely on free school meals from receiving meals during the holidays.

“Sinn Féin is committed to supporting workers and families and this legislation will ensure that support reaches those children who need it most.”