The Department of Education has confirmed the school bus service for secondary school students is to increase in cost from €168 for junior cycle children and €234 for senior cycle children, to a flat €300 for each student from September.
A department spokesman said there had been no increase in school transport charges between 1998 and 2007. She stressed the maximum amount payable by a single family, regardless of the number of children using the school transport system, would be €650 annually.
More than 135,000 pupils use public school transport daily and about 6,000 routes are covered daily.
