Information for families regarding School Transport Payment

Process for 2023/24 School Year

Payments/Medical Card Details

Payment/child’s medical card details for all pupils who wish to be considered for the allocation of a ticket for the 2023/24 school year must be submitted before 9 June 2023 On buseireann.ie/schooltransport.  After this date, this will be a late payment and tickets are not guaranteed to eligible pupils. 

Bus Éireann Family Portal Closure

Please note the Bus Éireann family portal will close for all applications and payments for a period of 3 weeks from 9 June 2023 to 30 June 2023 and it will not be possible to make a late application, or make a delayed payment or delayed entry of medical card details until the family portal reopens.

This is necessary so that Bus Éireann can process applications, arrange transport and to assess all applications and determine whether they are eligible or concessionary and to include Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMS) as soon as possible for the 2023/24 school year. Bus Éireann plans to issue all eligible tickets from July.

Tickets will be issued to eligible students who have applied and paid/entered medical card details on time. After this allocation is complete, where seats are available, concessionary tickets will be issued.

Any application made after 28 April 2023, or any payment/medical card details submitted after 9 June 2023 will be late. Where this happens, eligible students are not guaranteed a ticket.

Bus Éireann has put in place a dedicated customer care call centre and a Contact Form on buseireann.ie/schooltransport to assist families specifically with School Transport queries during the busy summer period. Families that have queries can contact the call centre on: LoCall 0818 919 910. Operating hours are 09.00 – 17.00 Monday to Friday

If families have queries relating to transport for children with special educational needs) please contact School Transport Section, Department of Education at:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 057 9325469 or 057 9325466

Payments/Medical Cards

It is important to ensure that payments/child’s medical card details are submitted for new applicants and also for 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) with valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge, however their medical card details must be submitted before 9 June 2023.

Families are strongly urged to make sure that they pay/enter child’s medical card details on time. Late applications made after 28^th April 2023, or late payment after 9 June 2023 may mean that a ticket is not available.

To make your payment or enter your child’s medical card details, go to buseireann.ie/schooltransport by Friday 9 June.

The Annual Charge for School Transport Services for the 2023/24 school year is set out below:

Eligibility

Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post-primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

• Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

• Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application and payment process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

• Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.

• In addition, temporary alleviation measures will continue for the 2023/24 school year, pending completion of the school transport scheme review and this means that transport will be provided, where such services are in operation, for post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school/ post-primary centre and who apply and pay on time.

Pupils from Ukraine

Pupils from Ukraine who require school transport should not apply on the Bus Éireann family portal but should visit gov.ie/ukraine for details on how to apply. Please note that any pupils from Ukraine who are currently on school transport do not need to re-apply for the 2023/24 school year unless they have changed address or school.

School Transport Section

Department of Education

[email protected]

Gov.ie/schooltransport