Minister Charlie McConalogue has encouraged Donegal families who require school transport services to complete their applications on the Bus Éireann family portal before the closing date of 9 June.
The Bus Éireann family portal will then close until 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 issue tickets to families as soon as possible for the 2023/24 school year. Bus Éireann plans to issue 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 or payment made after this date will be late, and eligible students are not guaranteed a ticket.
Minister McConalogue said: “There has been an unprecedented number of new applications for school transport for the 23/24 school year and to date approximately 119,000 pupils’ tickets have been confirmed by payment or entering of medical card details nationwide.
“This year the fees for school transport have been capped at €50 for a primary school ticket and €75 for a post-primary ticket, 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.
“I encourage all families who have not yet completed their applications or submitted their medical card details to do so before the closing date of 9 June.
“Families can complete their application online through the Bus Éireann family portal at buseireann.ie/schooltransport.
The Bus Éireann family portal is open for payments for school transport for the 2023 / 2024 school year until 9 June.
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.
The annual charge for School Transport Services for the 2023/24 school year is set out below:
|
Category of Pupil |
Annual Charge |
|
|
Primary Eligible/ Concessionary Pupil |
€50 |
|
|
Post – Primary Eligible Pupil/Concessionary Pupil |
€75 |
|
|
Maximum Family Contribution at Post-Primary |
€125 |
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for School Transport for the 2023/24 school year is as follows:
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. 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 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.
