Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board is committed to being part of the Irish Government’s humanitarian response in welcoming people fleeing the war in Ukraine and seeking protection in Ireland.
Many of our schools and our College of Further Education and Training campuses have already welcomed children and adults from Ukraine as part of our learning community.
This is an evolving situation and this webpage aims to provide our Ukrainian community with the information needed to access our education and training services. Further updates and information will be posted here as they arise.
Government Supports
The European Union (EU) has put in place a Temporary Protection Directive to allow Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing Ukraine to move through the EU as EU citizens.
If you are a Ukrainian citizen or if you are fleeing Ukraine, the Irish Government will help you when you arrive in Ireland. You can find information below on the supports and services available while you are in Ireland.
Education Supports
The Department of Further Higher Education Research, Innovation and Science, together with the Department of Education, SOLAS and Education and Training Boards Ireland are committed to ensuring a co-ordinated approach across schools and further education to meet the educational needs of children and adults from Ukraine.
A guide for parents on the school system in Ireland can be found here: www.pdst.ie/cultural-and-linguistic-supports
The Limerick and Clare Regional Education and Language Team is hosted by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board. The primary role of the REALT is to build on existing regional education support structures and the initial focus will be on assisting families in securing school places. REALT will also support schools in the area to meet the needs of these children as they emerge, to advise and support the Department of Education in developing new capacity where required, and to co-ordinate the provision of education services to schools and families in Limerick and Clare.
The Limerick and Clare REALT can be contacted at realt@lcetb.ie or +353 (086) 440 8220
Children aged between 4 and 18 will be supported to access public primary or post-primary education provided by the State as appropriate. (Children attend primary school from ages 4 or 5 to age 12 or 13. Children attend post-primary, sometimes called secondary school, from ages 12 or 13 for five or six years).
You can approach any local primary or post-primary school and seek information about a place for your child or children. If the school has a place for your child, they will provide you with more information on how to enrol in that school. If you have any difficulties in securing a placement, please contact realt@lcetb.ie.
A list of all schools is available to help you find your local schools.
FET courses and programmes are provided through Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board in a range of Further Education and Training campuses and community locations across Limerick and Clare (click here for more) and though the SOLAS eCollege online platform.
There are a range of options available at collegeofFET.ie/our-courses
Further education is free of charge or heavily subsidised. Courses are designed to support learners who are interested in:
- upskilling to enter the workforce or progress in their existing career
- progressing into further or higher education
- undertaking an apprenticeship or traineeship
- developing their skills in reading and writing
Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) has developed a number of information sheets providing additional information on the Further Education and Training Sector in Ireland. These are available in English, Ukrainian and Russian and are available to download by clicking here
Financial support for further and higher education
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD, has confirmed that the following supports will be offered to Ukrainian students for the academic year 2024/25, please click here for more details click here
Temporary Tuition Fee Support
A Temporary Tuition Fee Support Scheme for qualified persons will be in place for the 2024/25 academic year. The scheme will provide EU tuition fee funding supports for eligible higher education students in receipt of Temporary Protection attending an approved course. The scheme is aimed at eligible first time higher education students and students seeking to progress to a higher level of study up to post graduate level. For more details please click here
Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board offers free English language skills courses for adults.
If you need to learn English or improve your English, the ETB will assess your English language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking, and will arrange appropriate language and other learning supports to help you develop your English.
This service is free. Please email fetresponse@lcetb.ie or telephone 1800 70 70 77
A Third Level National Student and Researcher (NSR) Helpdesk has been established. This facility will be available to assist Ukrainian students and researchers who are seeking to continue their higher education studies in Ireland. The National Student and Researcher (NSR) Helpdesk is hosted by Maynooth University and will assist the needs of third-level students and researchers fleeing the war. It will be staffed by six people seconded from HEIs around Ireland and will operate for an initial six months, funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Those seeking assistance can contact email NSRHelpdesk@mu.ie or telephone +353 (0)1 474 7788. This will first facilitate students who have made direct contact with third level institutions.
Click here to download a digital copy of our Information Guide for Ukrainian Citizens.
Process for Provision of School Transport Services
Bus Éireann will check availability of school transport services and whether spare capacity exists.
Where seats are available on existing services, the normal eligibility criteria will not apply and eligibility will be granted to the school that the child/children are enrolled in.
If seats are available on an existing service/route, these seats will be offered to the child/children. Where such seats are available, the host family will be contacted and advised that a ticket will be issued. While waiting for the ticket to be issued the child/children will be permitted to travel on the service and the driver and inspector will be aware of this in all such cases where these arrangements are being provided.
Children will be expected to meet the service at the existing pick-up point. There will be no charge for the ticket and the child will be guaranteed a ticket for the duration of their education while living with their host family in Ireland. If the children move to live with another family/to another form of accommodation, a new application for transport will be required.
In cases where there is no existing service or where there is no capacity on an existing service, a grant can be offered to the host family as appropriate to support them with the cost of transport arrangements where the host family is providing for such transport arrangements.
OR In cases where there is no existing service or where there is no capacity on an existing service, a grant can be offered to the Ukrainian family as appropriate to support them with the cost of transport arrangements where the Ukrainian family is providing for such transport arrangements.
An application for school transport can be made by the parent/guardian via a link to an online form which is available here: Application for school transport parent/guardian/host family. The form is available in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
Bus Éireann will check availability of school transport services and whether spare capacity exists on the required route. Where seats are available on existing services, the normal eligibility criteria will not apply and eligibility will be granted to the school that the child/children are enrolled in.
If seats are available on an existing service/route, these seats will be offered to the child/children. Where such seats are available, the host family will be contacted and advised that a ticket will be issued. While waiting for the ticket to be issued, the child/children will be permitted to travel on the service and the driver and inspector will be aware of this in all such cases where these arrangements are being provided.
Children will be expected to meet the service at the existing pick-up point. There will be no charge for the ticket and the child will be guaranteed a ticket for the duration of their education while living in their current accommodation.
If the family moves to new accommodation, a new application for transport will be required.
In cases where there is no existing service or where there is no capacity on an existing service, a grant can be offered to the family as appropriate to support them with the cost of transport arrangements.
School principals may apply for transport for children attending their school who are residing in accommodation centres (or similar).
School principals should complete the information required on the following application form click here and return it realt@lcetb.ie. The information will be submitted by REALT to the School Transport Section of the Department of Education, which will in turn liaise with Bus Éireann in order to provide school transport services as required.