Call For Increased Budget To Support Community Groups

Labour's MEP for Dublin, Emer Costello, has said that she will be pressing at EU-level for an increased budget to support community groups who give free meals to deprived people.

Ms Costello was speaking after it emerged that Dublin-based food centres – such as those operated by Crosscare – are being forced to increase their fundraising in an effort to keep up with demand for free meals by people who can’t afford to feed themselves.

Ms Costello is leading negotiations at EU-level on the implementation of a €3.5 billion Fund for European Aid for the Most Deprived (FEAD). The aim of the fund is to deal with mounting problems of food poverty amongst families in Ireland and across the EU.

She said: "I am acutely aware of the challenges facing food centres across the city. The level of EU-funding which Ireland currently receives to support food-aid programmes goes nowhere in recognising the level of need and demand that's out there.

"Over the next number of weeks, I expect that negotiations – which I am leading on behalf of the European Parliament – will conclude and I am vigorously pushing for a more realistic allocation for food aid for Ireland, and other EU countries experiencing high deprivation."

(CD)