Minister McEntee visits Youth Work Ireland Midlands – Athlone Youth Project as part of the Summer 2025 Holiday Meals Pilot Programme

The Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee TD, yesterday (20 August) visited Youth Work Ireland Midlands – Athlone Youth Project to see first-hand the impact of the Summer 2025 Holiday Meals Pilot Programme, which is supporting young people in the local community during the summer school holidays. 

Athlone Youth Project is one of 41 UBU Your Place Your Space youth services across the

country taking part in the pilot programme, which provides young people with a hot or substantial meal during the summer months. 

Speaking during her visit, Minister McEntee said: 

“I am delighted to be here in Athlone today to meet with the young people and staff involved in this important initiative. The Summer Holiday Meals Pilot Programme is about ensuring that no child goes without a nutritious meal simply because schools are closed.

“The Athlone Youth Project has already provided over 300 meals each week to 155 young people throughout June and July, and I want to commend them for the dedication and support they give to some of the most vulnerable young people in our community.

“Ending child poverty is a key Government priority, and today’s visit shows how targeted, practical programmes can make a real difference. I look forward to the evaluation of this pilot, which will help us to decide how best to expand and build on this work in the future.” 

The Summer 2025 Holiday Meals Pilot Programme is being delivered by the Department of Education and Youth, in partnership with the Child Poverty and Wellbeing Office in the Department of the Taoiseach, with a national budget of €500,000. 

Athlone Youth Project, which received an allocation of €22,500 for the summer meals initiative, works with a wide range of young people.

The Athlone Youth Project is funded through UBU Your Place Your Space, which provides €138,351 to support its services in 2025. 

An independent evaluation of the pilot, led by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), is currently underway to assess the programme’s impact and effectiveness.