More than 20% of Irish children have at some stage gone to bed or to school feeling hungry, according to the results of a new survey.
Government-appointed Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Geoffrey Shannon described the findings as “a violation of basic human rights.”
He said an immediate review is now warranted to examine how the State can improve the provision of breakfast clubs.
The finding was made in a study of over 16,000 children aged between nine and 18, carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway.
The study, carried out in 2010, said 21% of children reported going to school or to bed hungry - an increase from 17% in the last survey in 2006.
Boys, younger children and those from lower social classes were found to be more likely to be hungry.
13% of children said they had tried dieting, up from 12% in 2006.
14% of those surveyed reported never having breakfast on a weekday, up slightly from 13% in 2006.
Older children and children from lower social class groups were found to be more likely to report regular consumption of sweets and soft drinks. Girls were more likely to report frequent sweet consumption, while boys had a greater intake of soft drinks.
The survey also recorded a fall in the use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis among school children.
In terms of alcohol, 46% of children reporting drinking, compared with 53% in the 2006 survey.
The survey said there was "little change" in the amount and frequency of exercise and physical activity among those surveyed.
Overall, 51% of children reported exercising four or more times a week compared to 56% in 2006.
