Families have ten days to apply for free school transport for next year.

Bus Éireann has changed its online family portal following the Government’s announcement that the school transport scheme will be free to families next year.

In a statement, the company said the new system “is a little different but very simple” and urged families to apply by July 29th.

It said:

• Families who have already paid for next year’s school transport do not need to do anything and will be refunded around the start of the school year.
• People who have applied but have not yet made a payment will need to log in and request their ticket on the portal.
• People with medical cards do not need to enter their medical card details but do need to log in and request their ticket on the portal.

“We have emailed all registered families this morning advising them of their next steps,” said Miriam Flynn, Chief Schools Officer at Bus Éireann. “The first thing they should do is to check their inbox.

“The email has a link to bring them directly to the new confirmation page on the website.”

She said it is “fantastic to be able to offer free school transport next year.”

“The system is a little different but very simple,” she said. “It just requires people to click a button to request their ticket.

“We are urging them to log in to the portal as quickly as possible and get that confirmation in as tickets cannot issue without this request on the system.”

School transport will be free next year as a temporary measure to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

The eligibility criteria for school transport remain unchanged.