The School Transport Scheme

What it is

The School Transport Scheme is a government programme to support transport to and from school for children who reside remote from their nearest school. The scheme is operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. This can be an invaluable resource for those who live far from their school, and is an helps to alleviate costs and transport issues for some parents! The ins, outs, and costs of applying are outlined below.

How it Works

Participating children are picked up from set locations provided by Bus Eireann and the Department of Education, and brought to and from the nearest national school available to them. The cost per child is €50 for a full academic year of transport, but this is limited to €125 for families with primary school children only. Post-Primary transport will cost €75 per child, and the maximum cost per family is €125 per year. The Bus Éireann family portal will accept new applications until Friday the 28th April 2023 and will be open to accept payments from 3rd April until 9th June 2023. Payments made after the deadline date will be deemed late and families may not be guaranteed a seat at that stage. After payment is made, or the first instalment of payment, the tickets are mailed to the recipients.

How To Apply

Only new students need to apply, i.e. students starting Primary school or moving to Post Primary school. Existing pupils who currently hold tickets are already in the system and they will be communicated with in July when it is time to pay the fees for the new school year.
Applications for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) arising from a diagnosed disability should be made through the National Council For Special Education, which can be done Here.

To apply, click the login/Register button on the Bus Eireann Website and follow the instructions given. A full walk-through of the application Process can be found here

After you Apply, your application will be reviewed by Bus Eireann and the Department of Education. In the event that your application is refused, an appeal process is available on www.schooltransportappeals.ie