Information for families regarding School Transport Application Process for 2025/26 School Year

All applicants – Payment or medical card details - closing date 6 June 2025

The Bus Éireann family portal is now open to accept payments or enter medical card details until Friday, 6 June 2025. Payments or medical cards entered after the deadline date will be deemed late.  A late payment or entering medical card details may mean that a ticket is not available.

The portal will close from 7 June 2025 for a 3-week period to allow Bus Éireann time to plan for the new school year.

Payments or 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 25/26 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 by the closing date.

Ticket Charges

For the 2025/26 school year charges of €50 per student at primary level and €75 per student at post-primary level will apply, with a cap per family of €125.  Eligible children with a full medical card and children who are eligible for SEN transport services remain exempt from the annual ticket charge.

Customer Call Centre

Bus Éireann has put in place a dedicated customer care call centre 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.

Families can also contact Bus Éireann their website: www.buseireann.ie/schooltransport by submitting a query via: https://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=769,

Updates on the application process can be found on Gov.ie/schooltransport and on buseireann.ie/schooltransport 

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, as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language 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 and where capacity exists.
• 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 2025/2026 school year, this means that transport will be provided, where such services are in operation and where capacity exists, for 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 are currently on school transport do not need to re-apply for the 2025/2026 school year unless they have changed address or school.

New applications – living independently or with host families

All families who are living independently or with host families who wish to apply for mainstream school transport for their child for the 2025/26 school year, and who are not currently on school transport, are asked to apply and pay or enter their medical card details via the Bus Éireann family portal, which can be found here.

This includes families who have moved address since their last application and/or pupils who are changing schools for the 2025/26 school year.

New applications – living in accommodation centre

New applications for school transport for the 2025/26 school year for pupils living in accommodation centres must be made by the school principals. School principals should forward the information required to their local REALT.

A new application is:

• a pupil who is enrolling for the first time in school;
• has moved schools or;
• has moved to a new accommodation centre.

The information provided by you will be submitted by members of the REALT to Bus Éireann who will arrange for school transport to be provided where it is possible to do so.