Two weeks free travel for children this summer

Leap card holders go free on Dublin Bus, Luas and Dart from July 25th

From July 25th to August 7th, all Dublin Bus, Luas, Dart and commuter rail short hops will be free to children, provided their cards contain at least one cent credit. File photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times
From July 25th to August 7th, all Dublin Bus, Luas, Dart and commuter rail short hops will be free to children, provided their cards contain at least one cent credit. File photograph: Bryan O’Brien/The Irish Times

Children aged four to 18 who have Leap cards can travel free on public transport for two weeks this summer.

From July 25th to August 7th, all Dublin Bus, Luas, Dart and commuter rail short hops will be free to children, provided their cards contain at least one cent credit.

Some Bus Éireann services will also be free, including in Dublin and surrounding counties and in Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford cities.

The Ashbourne Connect will also be part of the scheme, though Expressway services and Airlink will not.

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For those who do not have a Leap card, a limited stock is available free, for children aged 4 to 15 years, at Dublin Bus head office, O’Connell Street, at the city’s three main train stations, and at the main bus stations in Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

Announcing the offer, Minister for Transport Shane Ross said it was a fantastic initiative from the National Transport Authority, which he hoped would encourage lots of families with young children to avail of public transport for their summer outings.

“I hope that families will make the most of this opportunity to make happy summer holiday memories. They can get the picnic and head to town, the park or the seaside,” he said.

Anne Graham, chief executive of the authority, said they hope as many families as possible will go to town to experience "all that our fantastic cities have to offer during the holiday season", including the historic cities of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

“While there will be disruption to traffic in Dublin as we continue the track-laying for the new Luas Cross City service, this should not stop families and teens from travelling into the city on public transport and having some great days out” she said.

Full details on where to get a Child Leap card, including identification requirements for older teens, are available online at leap.ie.

Fiona Gartland

Fiona Gartland

Fiona Gartland is a crime writer and former Irish Times journalist