The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.
Families were expected to complete a ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year which closed on 29 July 2022.
As outlined in the previous Parliamentary Question, Bus Éireann have advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible for transport as they are attending their nearest Post Primary Centre. However, no ticket request was received for this pupil by the deadline of 29/07/2022.
The Bus Éireann family portal is now open for new applications only for school transport services for the 2023/24 school year. New applications are considered as:
- Pupils who will be attending junior infants in primary school or first year in post-primary school for the first time in 2023.
- Pupils that may move home address or will be attending a new school for the 2023/24 school year
Applications can be made by visiting
www.buseireann.ie/schooltransport.
The closing date for new applications is Friday 28 April 2023.
Any new applications made after the closing date are considered late applications and families are not guaranteed a seat.
Families do not need to make a new application if they have already applied in previous year(s) as their child’s application will ‘rollover’ for the 2023/24 school year.
The Bus Éireann family portal will be open to accept payments/medical card details from the 3 April 2023 until 9 June 2023. Payment made after the deadline date will be deemed late and a seat may not be available to families at that stage.
Payments/medical card details must be submitted for:
- new applicants, and;
- Pupils who have previously applied/availed of school transport and require a seat on a service for the 23/24 school year.
Children (who are eligible for school transport) and who possess valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge however, their medical card details must be submitted to Bus Éireann.
Families are strongly urged to make sure that they pay/enter valid medical card details on or before the deadline of 9 of June 2023.
The annual charge for School Transport Services for the 2023/24 school year is set out below:
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Category of Pupil
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Annual Charge
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Primary Eligible/ Concessionary Pupil
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€50
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Post Primary Eligible/ Concessionary Pupil
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€75
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Maximum annual charge for families
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€125
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Families are asked to note that the closing date for payment/registering medical cards has been brought forward so that Bus Éireann can process applications, arrange transport and issue tickets to families as soon as possible for the 2023/24 school year.
