Scéim Iompair do Scoileanna Bunoideachais agus Iar-bhunoideachais
Post-Primary School Transport Scheme
The school transport scheme is operated by Bus Eireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Science (School Transport Section).
Bus Eireann is responsible for planning routes, employing bus drivers, collecting fares and ensuring compliance with safety regulations and insurance.
The Chief Executive Officer of County Cork VEC is responsible for administering the school transport scheme in County Cork for all 59 Post-Primary Centres. The CEO assists Bus Eireann by acting as Transport Liaison Officer (TLO) for the county.
The Official Date for Commencement of School Transport 09/10 cycle
The DEC has confirmed the start date for School Transport Services taking account of 2010 Exam Dates is Monday 31st August 2009. Date allows delivery of 167 days teaching before commencement of exams – allowing for Standard School Year. If schools want to query this decision please contact:
Oliver Hughes – Phone 05793-25468
Email: oliver_hughes@education.gov.ie
How To Apply For School Transport
School transport forms are sent by the Transport Liaison Office to the 59 post-primary centres in the county at the end of February of each year.
There are three types of forms available for downloading:
- N-Form : New pupil enrolling for the first time in a post-primary school
- T-Form : Transfer Form, pupil changing residence or school.
- E-Form : Pupil already in the school but applying for transport for the first time.
Forms can also be acquired at the post-primary schools from March of each year onwards. The form must be completed fully and signed by the school Principal.
The completed forms should be forwarded by schools to the Transport Liaison Office, County Cork VEC for processing. Processed forms are forwarded to Bus Eireann by the Transport Liaison Office in the second week of May each year. The TLO will write to individual families that do not qualify for school transport scheme.
It is the role and duty of Bus Eireann to issue invoices and tickets.
1. Eligibility for School Transport Scheme
1.1 To be eligible for transport under this scheme, a pupil must:
- be enrolled for an approved course in a recognised post-primary school;
- be not less than 12 years of age on the first day of January of the school-year in which the pupil enters second-level education;
- as a rule, have completed a full course of primary education;
- live 4.8 kilometers (3 miles), or more, from his/her appropriate post-primary education centre.
1.2 Eligible pupils may be transported to the post-primary centre which caters for the catchment area in which they live. (Pupils availing themselves of such facilities are referred to as "Fully Eligible Pupils (FH)".
1.3 School transport services are organised as a network of main routes serving each catchment area. Pupils living off a main route are expected to get, or be brought, to a convenient pick-up point on the main route. Spurs off the main route will not be operated for such pupils. As a rule, the routes will be planned so that no pupil will have more than 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) to travel to a pick-up-point.
2. Concessionary Transport
2.1 Where an eligible pupil attends a school at a centre other than the post-primary centre which caters for the catchment area in which s/he lives, s/he may be allowed the concession of transport from the catchment boundary of the centre attended, provided there is space on a bus serving that centre.
2.2 The pupils, themselves, are responsible for getting to the catchment boundary or to the nearest school bus service within that catchment area. (Pupils availing of such facilities are referred to as " Catchment Boundary Pupils (CB)."
2.3 A pupil who is approved for catchment boundary transport is not guaranteed school transport for the duration of his/her education at that centre. As this is a concessionary measure, continued transport will depend on the availability of seats on the bus to that centre each school term. Priority will be given to eligible pupils enrolled in or proposing to enroll in a school located in the catchment area in which they live. If you are unsure about the catchment area in which you live or the various categories of school transport, please check with the Transport Liaison Office.
3. Contribution
3.1 Eligible pupils may avail of school transport under the scheme on payment of the appropriate term contribution Ticket Charge. Where parents or legal guardians of eligible pupils are holders of family medical cards ( not the child's own medical card), the contribution may be waived in respect of such children.
4. Grants
4.1 A grant may be paid towards the cost of private transport arrangements where a pupil is eligible for transport and none is available, or where a pupil is unable to avail of school transport, due to illness/disability.
4.2 For fully eligible residing more than 3.2 kilometers from pick-up point or outside the range of a school transport service, a Remote Area Grant , based on the distance and attendance may be paid. Only one grant is payable per family.
4.3 TLO is informed by the School Principal if a special needs pupil requires transport. Special Needs Grant
5. Education through Irish
5.1 Pupils who wish to obtain post-primary education entirely through Irish are eligible for transport to the nearest centre in which there is a secondary, vocational, comprehensive or community school providing such education, if they live 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) or more from the centre. In areas where school transport is not available grants may be awarded towards cost of private transport.
6. General
6.1 No special school bus service may be established unless there is a minimum of seven eligible pupils within an area which can be reasonably and economically served by the bus route. Application for new services should be submitted to TLO.
6.2 The combined maximum daily travelling and waiting times is ideally 2.5 hours, but may in exceptional circumstances, exceed this threshold.
6.3 The granting of facilities under this scheme will be at the discretion of the Minister for Education and Science.
6.4 The fact that transport facilities have been availed of by pupils contrary to the terms of the scheme in no way confers on the recipients a right to continue to avail of the facilities.
7. Further information Contact
- John Lyons, Transport Liaison Office, County Cork VEC, Clonakilty Road, Bandon, Cork.
Phone: 023-52919 Fax: 023-52939
Email: johnlyonsbandon@eircom.net
CEO/Transport Liaison Officer, County Cork VEC, Yeats House, Barrack Square, Ballincollig, Co. Cork.
Phone: 021-4665000 Fax: 021- 4665090
Email: ceo@cocorkvec.ie
o School Transport Section, Department of Education & Science, Transport Section, Department of Education and Science, Castle Buildings, Tara St, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
School transport application forms 08/09 and other associated documents can downloaded from DES website under school transport section www.education.ie
Phone: 05793-25465
Fax: 05793-25409
Email: pat_oconnell@education.gov.ie
School Transport Office, Bus Eireann, Capwell, Cork.
General queries regarding ticket payment & issuing of same.
Phone: 021-4557129
Email: info@buseireann.ie
