CAO Press Release
CAO normal closing date is Saturday, 1 February at 5pm
**Exceptional application facility for those who have been impacted by storm Éowyn to be made available at www.cao.ie until 6 February at 5pm**
The Central Applications Office (CAO) application deadline for undergraduate courses in Irish Higher Education Institutions is Saturday, 1 February at 5pm. Those interested in applying for entry to Higher Education should attempt to make an application by the normal application closing date of 1 February at 5pm.
CAO’s Head of Communications, Eileen Keleghan, advised that an exceptional application facility will be made available from 1 February at 5pm until 6 February at 5pm for applicants who are currently experiencing power and internet outages due to Storm Éowyn.
She said: “CAO and Higher Education Institutions have been monitoring the situation closely in relation to power outages and the impact on those who wish to make a CAO application but are currently unable to do so.
“CAO is arranging to make an exceptional facility available for those impacted by the unprecedented circumstances caused by storm Éowyn who, as a result, are unable to make a 2025 CAO application by 1 February at 5pm.
“In the interim, we encourage all those who are in a position to apply to do so without delay.
“Those interested in applying for DARE, HEAR, restricted courses and mature entry routes will be able to do so if they obtain a 2025 CAO application number by applying to CAO using this exceptional facility. Applicants should go to cao.ie and follow the instructions.
“For operational reasons, this exceptional facility cannot be extended after 6 February at 5pm.
Ms Keleghan also added that “Significant numbers of homes are without power, but application numbers are stronger than for the same period in recent years”.
Applicants who have already made a CAO application have up to 5pm on 1 February to add, remove or re-order courses free of charge. If an applicant is considering applying for a restricted course, they should make sure to include the course details in their application before this deadline (or by 1 March using the Change of Course Choices facility for a fee of €10).
Mature applicants should also ensure they have their course choices included at this stage. The mature section of the CAO application form must be completed by 1 March at 5pm, and supporting documentation must be supplied to CAO within ten days of making an application.
The CAO website contains a number of guides and supports for applicants which should make the application process easy to navigate, including a ‘Demo Application Facility’, the CAO Handbook and Information Sheets, and step-by-step video guides.
To apply to CAO go to www.cao.ie and click on ‘Apply’.
