Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Department pays €76.6 million to all operators for the free travel scheme which works out at €90 per annum per head, using the total of 875,000. There are some people for whom public transport is not an option, such as those in isolated areas where they may have to pay for a local hackney to go for their pension every Friday. With some household benefits there is an option to tick a box and get a monetary payment in lieu of something else, such as with the old phone rental allowance. Would the Department consider this for people in isolated areas who have to pay privately for transport?