Northern Ireland school meal prices to rise by 30p in primary schools from January
A paid primary school dinner will cost £3.40, up from £2.60 at the start of 2026, as the Education Authority looks for another £20m of savings this year.
By Daily Oracles News Team1 min read
Paid school meals in Northern Ireland's pre-school, primary and special schools will cost 30p more from January, the Education Authority (EA) said on Monday. Items in post-primary school cafeterias will go up by 15%. Children who receive free school meals are not affected.
It is the second rise in a year. A paid primary dinner will cost £3.40. At the start of 2026, before the earlier increase took effect in January, it was £2.60. The EA said parents would still pay well below the average cost of producing a meal, which it puts at more than £5.20.
Part of a wider savings package
The meal prices are one of several measures the EA has agreed to stay within this year's budget. It expects the package to save about £20m, on top of £30m already saved this year, and said costs such as energy for school buildings were still rising.
Other changes include:
- baked desserts on school menus being replaced with cheaper alternatives
- more parents being offered a payment to take their children to school, instead of the EA arranging a taxi
- changes to charges for the EA's music service
- some schemes run in schools no longer being funded, though the EA has not said which
The EA also pays school milk subsidies to about 500 schools. It said it would ask the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for money to keep that support going.
