The DUP's collapse of the Executive could signal a definite end for free school meals for eligible children during the holidays, a MLA has claimed.
The Department of Education (DE) funding for free school meals is set to end in April, meaning that around 100,000 children are set to lose out.
Families with eligible children currently receive £2.70 per child for a weekday that schools are closed, amounting to a payment of £27 per fortnight.
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan has tabled an Assembly question to Education Minister, Michelle McIlveen, asking her to outline any plans to extend the grant beyond Easter 2022.
He said Stormont's three-year draft budget, which is now in limbo due to the collapse of the Executive, would have allowed for the extension of the grant to "address holiday hunger".
A written answer to Mr Sheehan's question was scheduled for Wednesday, and the West Belfast MLA said doubt now lingers over the future of the free school meals.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News, Mr Sheehan stated: "My question is to flush out what the Department of Education are doing about this issue.
"At the minute it is unclear whether the Department intends to fund the free school meals during the holiday periods, but my instinct is that they are not going to fund it and kids are going to go hungry during the holidays."
