The Government has launched a campaign to persuade schoolchildren to consume more dairy products.
Social and Family Affairs minister Ms Mary Coughlan wants youngsters to benefit from subsidised milk, cheese and yoghurt.
She has asked officials in her department to contact disadvantaged schools already targeted in a new school meals programme in an effort to get them complement their food with more milk.
Ms Coughlan said: "I would like to see this valuable scheme dovetailing with the revised and expanded school meals programme.
"Milk has proven benefits for young children in particular and I want to encourage more children to drink it."
The use of subsidised milk, cheese and yoghurt under a European Union-backed scheme could reduce the costs for schools participating in the school meals programme.
Around 90,000 children in more than 2,500 schools nationwide schools currently benefit from the dairy scheme.
But Ms Coughlan said: "I am conscious that many schools are not aware of the scheme.
"Now that we have identified schools where there is a need we are taking a proactive approach in encouraging those schools to join."
PA