Food poverty - Government must tackle growing issue

It should be safe to assume that in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, there would be no need to appeal to the Government to take steps to address a food problem confronted by almost 20% of the population.

That is not to suggest that so many people in Ireland are unable to put food on their table.

However, the Healthy Food For All (HFFA) initiative believes the problem is pressing enough to call for this action to coincide with the UN World Food Day yesterday, which aims to help eradicate hunger around the world.

The Government could tackle the problems here by focusing on better welfare payments, school meal schemes, community-based programmes and adequate retail facilities in disadvantaged areas. Because, as almost 7% of the population here are in consistent poverty, and almost 20% are at risk of poverty, there are a considerable number of people who cannot afford decent food.

The grim reality is that there were people who could not afford a substantial meal on at least one day out of a fortnight when the EU conducted a survey here on income and living conditions last year.

With three out of the eight deprivation indicators used in national statistics on poverty relating directly to food poverty, it is hardly surprising that the HFFA believes it is time for the Government to tackle a problem which could have consequences for health in the long term.