The Tánaiste and Social Protection Minister Joan Burton says money can be provided for more schools to give a breakfast to children each day.

A 'Healthy Food for All' conference heard today that one in five children go to school or bed hungry each day.

Many DEIS schools they cannot afford the equipment or people needed to serve a meal.

It is claimed more than 100 DEIS schools out of 850 entitled to funding for the meals programme cannot avail of the money needed.

Organisers of conference are calling on the government to provide once-off funding of €500,000 to ensure schools in disadvantaged areas are able to provide meals to children.

Principal of St Eithne's Girls School in Edenmore in north Dublin, Janet Lynch, says she provides breakfast for 58 students every day - but relies only on charity to get the food.

"We just don't have any money at the moment so we're relying on charity, handouts and the actual cost would be 60 cents per child per day - so it's a very minimal cost" she said.

"We want to keep it running, but at the moment we're collecting tokens from Tesco, we're getting bread from charity and it's just not ideal".

"We'd love to keep it going - the children are there early, they're there before us in the morning, they're hungry and we're giving them a breakfast in a lovely atmosphere and they're happy and they're ready to learn and it'd be a shame to let that go" she added.

But Ms Burton says they can get help from her department.