Food banks to tackle poverty crisis

Food banks are to be set up by charities across the country in an attempt to feed the estimated 600,000 people suffering from food poverty.

The move is a collaboration between Bia Food Bank, an Irish charity formed in June 2012, and St Vincent de Paul, which has a target distributing up to 20,000 tonnes of food annually to needy people.

The first food distribution hub will be established in Cork on June 1. A second hub will become operational in Dublin before the end of the year.