Primary school transport scheme

The school transport scheme provides transport for children who live 3.2 km or more from their local primary school. The scheme is funded by the Department of Education.

Bus Éireann operates the school transport service on behalf of the Department of Education.

The closing date for new applications for school transport services for the 2024-2025 school year was 26 April 2024. You can submit a late application, but there is no guarantee of a ticket (see ‘Late applications’ below).

You can submit your application on the Bus Éireann website (see ‘How to apply for the School Transport Scheme’ below).

Pupils from Ukraine

Pupils from Ukraine should visit gov.ie/ukraine for details on how to apply for school transport. Pupils from Ukraine should not apply on the Bus Éireann website. Applications will continue to be accepted as families are relocated or as new families arrive.

Proposed changes to school transport scheme

A review of the school transport scheme has recommended changes to how the scheme works so that more students can use buses by 2030.

It recommends:

• Removing the ‘nearest school’ requirement if there are existing bus routes or if there is enough demand for a new route (at least 10 pupils)
• Reducing the distance required for pupils to qualify for the school transport scheme

You can read a summary report (pdf) and the full final report (pdf) of the school transport review on gov.ie.

Budget 2025: reduced school transport fees

It was announced in Budget 2025 that school transport fees will remain at €50 for primary students, €75 for post-primary students and €125 for a family ticket for the 2025-2026 school year.

To qualify for the primary school transport scheme, a child must:

• Be aged between 4 and 12 years, and
• Live 3.2 km or more from their nearest suitable national school

Children with special needs are also eligible for free transport to and from special schools and to special classes.

If there are spare seats available, children who are not eligible can be carried on school transport (see ‘Concessionary seats’ below).

Who decides which school is nearest and most suitable?

The Department of Education decides what the nearest suitable school is.

Children attending multi-denominational schools or Gaelscoileanna (Irish-speaking schools) are eligible if they meet the distance requirements to their school. They are not disqualified because there is another national school nearer to them. There are also special arrangements for Protestant children attending Protestant schools and children living in remote areas.

If you have applied to attend your nearest school in regards to ethos and language and you have been told by the school authorities that it is full, the department will consider if you are eligible to the next nearest school.

You will need to provide the following documentary evidence as proof:

• An application for enrolment that was made within the deadline dates specified by the school, and
• A letter from the school authorities confirming that the school was full at time of enrolment

Where are the pick-up points?

The scheme is not a door-to-door service. Parents and guardians are responsible for bringing their children to or collecting them from the nearest pick-up point to use the service. Generally, routes are planned so pupils don't have to travel more than 2.4 km to their nearest pick-up point.

If there is no school transport service available, you may be able to get a grant towards the costs of private transport for a child who cannot get to school without transport due to an illness or disability.

Establishing and retaining a school transport service

There must be a minimum number of children to establish and retain a school transport service in an area. This means that there must be a daily average (over a school term) of at least 10 eligible children in a distinct area attending their nearest suitable school.

Remote area grants

A remote area grant may be paid at the end of the school year for a child who applied for school transport on time and are eligible under the school transport scheme, but where no transport service was available from Bus Éireann.

Towards the end of the school year, Bus Éireann provides a list to the Department of Education of children who are eligible but did not receive a transport service. The Department will then contact these families directly in relation to the grant.

It is generally based on the distance a family resides from their nearest eligible school. The maximum daily allowance payable under the remote area grant is €5.10 per day and will be calculated on the attendance record of the child for the relevant school year.

The fees for school transport in 2024-2025 are:

• €50 for a primary school pupil/concessionary pupil
• €75 for a post- primary school pupil/concessionary pupil

The maximum fee for a family is €125.

The closing date for payments was 7 June 2024.

If you make a late payment or submit medical card details after the deadline date, your application is considered late and you are not guaranteed a seat.

Concessionary seats

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. These seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

Pupils with medical cards

Pupils who are eligible for school transport and who hold a valid medical card are entitled to free school transport to the nearest school. To qualify, the medical card details must be submitted to Bus Éireann by the set deadline. The medical card waiver is not applicable for concessionary seats.

A medical card holder who is starting to attend a school further away than the nearest education centre is not entitled to free transport to that school.

The scheme is operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. If your child is enrolling in national school for the first time, you can apply for school transport online on the Bus Éireann website.

Late applications

The closing date for new applications for the 2024-2025 school year was 26 April 2024.

You can submit a late application, but there is no guarantee of a ticket. The application will only be considered:

• On a concessionary basis, at best
• If there are seats available
• If your child meets the criteria

Late applications will not be eligible for the remote area grant if there is no route available.

Can I appeal a decision on my application for school transport?

To appeal a decision on your application for school transport, download the appeal form (pdf) and send the completed form to the School Transport Appeals Board at the Department of Education at the address below.

Alternatively, you can appeal online use the School Transport Appeals portal.

The Department of Education publishes detailed information on the conditions governing the primary school transport scheme (pdf).

You can find out more about the School Transport Scheme in Bus Éireann’s list of FAQs. Detailed information on school transport is also available on gov.ie.

If you have questions about school transport, you can contact Bus Éireann or contact the School Transport Section of the Department of Education (address below).

To ask about timetables, pick-up points, routes and applications for transport grants, contact your local Bus Éireann school transport office.