A Carlow Kilkenny TD says children and parents are looking for food packages heading into the winter months.
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor says she's met a number of people asking for help with food and groceries.
"I see people come into my own clinics and they're looking for food parcels. We must work on this, we cannot have children or families that are looking for these sort of food parcels. We have to work with them and make sure it doesn't continue to happen.
She says she wants to ensure the problem of child poverty is addressed urgently.
Addressing the Taoiseach, the Fianna Fail Deputy says all schools should have a hot meals programme:
"As Christmas approaches and we think of children at this magical time, I want to ask you about child poverty. I know of families in my own area where children have been moved to particular schools where they have a hot meal programme.
This seems to be an issue that I feel I'm addressing constantly so I'm calling now that all schools have a hot meals programme."
