Sinn Féin Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has described the breakdown of a promised food parcel delivery system to financially poor families by An Post as “devastating news”.

Thousands of families were expecting to receive the dry goods parcels Easter weekend from schools but this will not happen now. Amidst the COVID-19 restrictions, schools throughout the country are now desperately trying to find an alternative method of delivery to many of their poorer pupils’ families.

Crowe said that the original plan was to deliver food parcels by An Post and they were to go the families of children who normally would receive a breakfast under the school completion programme.

These children are now absent from their school, but their families are still struggling to feed them.

Deputy Crowe said:

“A row has now broken out between An Post, The Department of Education, School Management, and a number of Food Distribution companies; the planned deliveries has unravelled and left thousands of financially poor families without promised food parcels this Easter weekend.

“An Post are saying that they can only deliver a small number across the country but, in most urban areas like Dublin, the system has collapsed with families having to go without, as the Department of Education blame school management, An Post blame the School Principals and the Food distributors, while thousands of food parcels are left lying in different food distribution warehouses.

“Poor families and hungry children are the real losers in this row. Surely, someone can up with a solution to this problem.

“COVID-19 is causing widespread problems across the country but an alternative delivery system but surely a different plan can be worked out to help these families.

“Throughout every community, there are good people in Ireland that want to help, want to contribute and want to ease the burden that so many are now living under.

“I am calling on the acting Minister for Education Joe Mc Hugh to rally this goodwill, intervene in this mess and talk to the different stake holders.

“The Minister needs to get this sorted soon and get the food to the families that clearly need it.

“Families, especially financially poorer ones, should not be the victims of this row and good nutritious food should not be left lying in warehouses while hungry children and families go without.”