Parents of primary and secondary school children could save up to €500 on school transport for the upcoming school year.
According to the Department of Education, Bus Eireann's family portal for new applications for school transport for the 2023/2024 academic year will close on Friday, 28 April. It is set to benefit over 121,000 students and their families.
To qualify for school transport, a child must be aged between 4 and 12 years, and be living 3.2 km or more away from their local school. Here's everything you need to know about applying for the scheme, how much you can save, and more.
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What is the School Transport Scheme 2023/24?
The Department of Education confirmed that fees are to be scrapped for the 2023/24 school year as part of a package of cost of living measures, with thousands of families entitled to saving €500 ahead of the upcoming school year. However, any applications that are submitted after the deadline of Friday 28 April will be considered late and families could miss out on a seat.
Minister Norma Foley introduced the scheme back in 2022/23 and it's back again from September. She said: "It has been good to see a strong level of applications to date for school transport in the next school year.
"This year the fees for school transport have been capped at €50 for a primary school ticket and €75 at post primary, as a government response to the rising cost of living. As a result the maximum amount any family will pay on school transport for the school year is €125 a potential saving of up to €500."
Who is eligible for the School Transport Scheme 2023/24?
To be eligible for the free school transport scheme, the child must be aged between 4 and 12 years and living 3.2 km or more away from their local school. It is estimated that the families of around 121,000 children can benefit from this year's scheme.
Students with special needs are also eligible for free transport to and from special schools and to special classes and if they are spare seats available, children who are not eligible can also be carried on school transport.
According to the Department, new applications are considered to be:
- Children attending junior infants in primary school for the first time in September 2023
- Children attending secondary school for the first time
- Children who have changed their home address or who are attending the new school during the upcoming academic year
How much can you save by applying for the transport scheme?
The School Transport Scheme 2023-2024 fee for a primary school child is €50 and for a secondary school child it is €75. The maximum fee for a family is €125.
The most you can save from using the scheme is €500. You must pay for tickets or submit medical card details on the Bus Eireann website between 4 April and 9 June 2023.
How to apply
If your child is enrolling in primary or secondary school for the first timet for the upcoming academic year, you can apply for school transport online on the Bus Eireann website. Students from Ukraine who require school transport should not apply on the Bus Eireann family portal but should visit gov.ie/ukraine for details on how to apply.
The Bus Eireann family portal will be open for payments for school transport for the 2023 / 2024 school year until 9 June.
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