School transport for post-primary students

The school transport scheme provides transport for post-primary students who live more than 4.8km away from their nearest school.

Bus Éireann operates the school transport service on behalf of the Department of Education who funds the scheme

Applications for school transport services in 2025-2026 are open. The closing date for on-time applications is Friday, 25 April 2025. The closing date for payments is Friday, 6 June 2025.

You can apply on the Bus Éireann website (see ‘How to apply for the school transport scheme’ below).

You can also read about the school transport scheme for primary school children.

To qualify for the post-primary school transport scheme, your child must:

• Be enrolled in their nearest post-primary school, and
• Live 4.8km or more from the nearest suitable school

The Department of Education determines what the nearest suitable school is, considering the school’s ethos and language. Bus Eireann decides if your child qualifies by checking the distance from the nearest school to your child’s home.

There are some exceptions to the nearest school rule. Your child may also qualify for school transport if they attend:

• Their nearest minority religious denominational school due to religious ethos, even if it is not their nearest school
• Their nearest all-Irish school, even if it is not their nearest school
• Their nearest all-English school, even if it is not their nearest school

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

What are concessionary seats?

Your child may get a concessionary seat even if they are not eligible for school transport. Concessionary seats are spare seats that might be available after eligible children have been given their seats.

You must complete the application and payment process on time for your child to be considered for a concessionary seat. Bus Éireann should confirm what concessionary seats are available for 2025-2026 in early August 2025.

What if my child’s nearest school is full?

If you have applied for your child to attend your nearest post-primary school in relation to ethos and language and you were told that the school is full, the Department of Education will consider if your child is eligible for transport to the next nearest school.

You will be asked to provide proof that you applied to your nearest school, such as:

• The 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

You can contact the School Transport Section with any queries you may have (see ‘More information’ below).

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 children going to primary school don't have to travel more than 3.2km to their nearest pick-up point.

If there is no school transport service available, you may be able to get:

• A Remote Area Grant (see ‘How do I qualify for a Remote Area Grant?’ below), or
• A Special Transport Grant towards the costs of private transport for a child who cannot get to school without transport due to an illness or disability

How do I qualify for a Remote Area Grant?

You may qualify for a Remote Area Grant if you meet the below conditions:

• You applied for school transport on time
• Your child is eligible under the school transport scheme
• There is no transport service available from Bus Éireann for your child, or your child lives 3.2km or more from the nearest pick-up point for school transport

You don’t apply for the Remote Area Grant. Near the end of the school year, Bus Éireann provides a list of children to the Department of Education who are eligible for school transport but did not receive a transport service.

The Department then contacts the families of these children directly in relation to the grant.

When is the Remote Area Grant paid?

The grant is paid at the end of the school year. The rate of the grant is generally based on the distance a family lives from their nearest eligible school.

The maximum daily allowance is €5.10 per day. If you have more than one eligible child, the grant amount is calculated based on the child with the highest attendance record for the relevant school year.

Setting up a school transport service

A minimum of 10 children are needed to establish or retain a school transport service in a distinct area. The children in the area must all be eligible for the school transport scheme. Bus Éireann decides if an area is distinct based on certain factors, including the local road network.

The fees for school transport in 2025-2026 are:

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

The maximum fee for a family is €125.

The closing date for on-time applications is Friday, 25 April 2025.

The closing date for payments is Friday, 6 June 2025.

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.

If your child has a medical card

Your child is entitled to free school transport to the nearest school if they:

• Are eligible for the school transport scheme, and
• They have a valid medical card

To qualify, you must give your child’s medical card details to Bus Éireann by the set deadline. If you are applying for the 2025-2026 school year, you must provide your child’s medical card details by 6 June 2025.

The medical card waiver does not apply 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.

Applications for school transport services 2025-2026 are now open. The closing date for on-time applications is Friday, 25 April 2025.

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

If your circumstances change and you no longer need school transport for your child, you can cancel your application online. If you already have your ticket, you should contact your local School Transport Office to arrange returning this.

Late applications

If you apply after the closing date, 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.

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.

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

You can appeal a decision on your application for school transport. There is no charge to make an appeal.

To appeal a decision, you can:

• Submit an appeal online on the School Transport Appeals website, or
• Download and complete the appeal form (pdf) and send it to the School Transport Appeals Board at the Department of Education (see address under ‘More information’ below)

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, where there are existing bus routes or where 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.

Find out more about the primary school transport scheme:

• In Bus Éireann’s list of School Transport FAQs
• On gov.ie
• In the conditions of the post-primary school transport scheme published by the Department of Education (pdf)

If you have questions about school transport, you can:

• Contact Bus Éireann – they can provide information about timetables, pick-up points, routes and applications for transport grants
• Contact the School Transport Section at the address below or online using their customer query form