The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
There has been an increase of 21% tickets issued to eligible students and 38% tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year. In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,200 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
Bus Éireann have advised that the below table outlines the number of new mainstream applications received for the 2023/24 school year. The source data is accurate as of 29/05/2023.
2023/24 School Year
County of School
|
No. of New Mainstream Eligible Applications
|
No. of New Mainstream Concessionary Applications
|
Grand Total
|
Carlow
|
491
|
356
|
847
|
Cavan
|
694
|
565
|
1259
|
Clare
|
873
|
494
|
1367
|
Cork
|
3341
|
2745
|
6086
|
Donegal
|
1694
|
1061
|
2755
|
Dublin
|
662
|
802
|
1464
|
Galway
|
2180
|
1660
|
3840
|
Kerry
|
1109
|
811
|
1920
|
Kildare
|
1170
|
1277
|
2447
|
Kilkenny
|
631
|
747
|
1378
|
Laois
|
413
|
658
|
1071
|
Leitrim
|
356
|
288
|
644
|
Limerick
|
1547
|
750
|
2297
|
Longford
|
372
|
332
|
704
|
Louth
|
1169
|
661
|
1830
|
Mayo
|
1047
|
672
|
1719
|
Meath
|
1018
|
1363
|
2381
|
Monaghan
|
757
|
446
|
1203
|
Offaly
|
439
|
519
|
958
|
Roscommon
|
350
|
423
|
773
|
Sligo
|
438
|
447
|
885
|
Tipperary
|
1204
|
924
|
2128
|
Waterford
|
580
|
400
|
980
|
Westmeath
|
618
|
621
|
1239
|
Wexford
|
1173
|
948
|
2121
|
Wicklow
|
684
|
551
|
1235
|
Grand Total
|
25010
|
20521
|
45531
|