General Information
The MCA are once again using an online booking system for ECAs. The link to the online booking system will be displayed at launch time on this page, the homepage and at other prominent locations on the METNS website.
As always, there are limited places in many ECAs and places are offered on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis.
Security for Online Payments
Most of us have become pretty familiar with making purchases online. As a result of increased online spending most Irish banks have introduced additional security measures to reduce fraud. Once such measure is Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). Below are links to the SCA help pages for the main Irish banks:
- AIB – “AIB: Changes to using your card online” (External Link)
- Bank of Ireland – “BoI: Strong Customer Authentication – SCA” (External Link)
- Ulster Bank – “Ulster Bank: We’re introducing smarter, stronger and safer ways to keep you protected online” (External Link)
- KBC – “KBC: All about PSD2” (External Link)
- Permanent TSB – “Permanent TSB: Enhancing security for online banking and shopping” (External Link)
- EBS – “EBS: We’re making shopping online even more secure” (External Link)
In short, make sure your bank has up-to-date contact details for you (particularly your mobile number) and your banking app is up to date!
Useful features of the system
Some useful features include:
- Fill your basket with ECAs for all your children and just checkout;
- ONE BOOKING for ALL CHILDREN in your FAMILY!
- Activity filters to see what activities are available on what day and for what classes; and
- Self-services options including the ability to cancel your ECA booking.
More useful features are in the pipeline!
Booking System Terminology
Booker: You! A parent or guardian making the booking – use your email address and your mobile phone number for the booking.
Attendee: Your children, who will be attending the ECAs.
Schedule: The schedule of all ECAs available for Term 2.
Selection(s): The ECAs you have selected and are currently in your basket.
Ticket: A reservation in a specific ECA for a specific child, e.g. ‘Table Tennis A’ for Jack Murphy in 3rd Class.
(Booking) Reference: Characters that uniquely identify your booking in the online system, e.g. NH2FN.
Advice & Tips
Read the MCA ECA Guidelines for Parents and the METNS Privacy Policy document.
Fill your basket with ECAs for all your children and just checkout – ONE BOOKING for ALL THE CHILDREN in your FAMILY!
As soon as you enter the checkout process (after clicking ‘Book now’) your places in your chosen ECAs are reserved – you have 5 minutes to complete checkout – after which you LOSE your reserved places and must start again.
Please do not book multiple ECAs for the same child at an overlapping time! The system will not ‘catch’ this and you will end up having to use the self-service option to cancel an ECA and request a refund.
Please do not add more ECA places to your basket than you require. The maximum number of places you can add to your basket for the same ECA is set at 4. According to records there are currently no families at METNS with >4 children in 1st to 6th Class.
An Example Family Booking
THIS VIDEO IS BEST VIEWED ON A LAPTOP / TABLET
My name is Mary Murphy. I’ve read and accept the ‘MCA ECA Guidelines’ and the ‘METNS Privacy Policy’. I have 3 wonderful children who I want to sign up for various ECAs:
- Jack, my youngest, is in 1ST CLASS and would like to try ‘Grand Piano & Music Theory’ on a MONDAY;
- Aine, my mini-me, is in 3RD CLASS and previously did ‘Yoga’ with Caragh on a TUESDAY – she would like to do it again; and
- Marco, my eldest, is in 6TH CLASS and loves ‘Hockey’ in Newpark on a MONDAY.
Marco already walks to and from school each day and so has my permission to:
- Walk unsupervised from METNS at 2:15 PM to Newpark for Hockey at 3:00 PM; and
- On days when Hockey is cancelled he can walk home from METNS at 2:15 PM as usual.
Queries / Support Requests
We have chosen to use Google Forms to streamline queries / support requests for the ECA online booking system.
By completing the Google Form you give us permission to use any contact details you provide – typically your email address and mobile phone number – to assist you.
Before filling out the form please ensure you have the following to hand:
- Your Email Address;
- Your Mobile Phone Number;
- Your Booking Reference if related to an existing booking; and
- Full details of any notices or error messages!
ECA related queries or support requests should be submitted via the ECA Coordination Team Google Form or using the button below.