School meal prices across Northern Ireland will increase from January 2027, the Education Authority has confirmed. Primary and special school meals will rise by 30p to £3.40, nursery and pre-school meals will cost £3.30, and post-primary pupils will see a 15% increase across cafeteria items. Children entitled to free school meals will not be affected.

The EA said the revised prices remain below the average £5.28 cost of producing a school meal. Traditional baked desserts in primary, pre-school and special schools will be replaced with dairy and fruit-based alternatives. The measures form part of a £20m savings package, bringing total savings this financial year to approximately £50m. The Authority said it still faces a funding shortfall of more than £100m.

Other measures include prioritising payments to parents for home-to-school transport instead of commissioning new taxi services. Existing taxi arrangements will remain. The EA said its annual taxi bill more than doubled over five years, from £19.4m in 2020-21 to £39.8m in 2024-25. A revised charging model will be introduced for the EA Music Service, and free transport for some group ensemble activities will end. Schools will also see a significantly reduced delegated expenditure limit.

The EA said its contribution to the School Milk Subsidy Scheme, which operates in approximately 500 schools, faces a funding gap and it is seeking support from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Chris Quinn said he was flabbergasted that families face a second increase within a year. He said a primary school dinner that cost £2.60 at the end of 2025 will now cost £3.40, an increase of almost 31%. He said school meals are not a luxury and that children should not be expected to pay the price for the financial crisis in education. He also said research published last year showed 41% of children living in poverty do not qualify for free school meals.

Education Minister Paul Givan said he was concerned about the impact on families. He said he did not want the increase introduced but that it resulted from the EA not having sufficient funding. He said education often bears the greatest burden during cost-saving exercises and argued his department should receive a greater share of Stormont's budget. He also said inadequate funding from Westminster was bearing down on public services in Northern Ireland.

Stormont parties have not agreed a budget seven months into the current financial year. Departments have been operating on contingency budgets of 95% of last year's spend, which the EA said does not cover inflationary pressures including rising school energy costs. The Authority said longer-term reform with the Department of Education will be necessary to address recurring financial pressures.