Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years of age or over. It is available to carers and to people who are in receipt of certain disability-type payments. Currently, more than 745,000 customers are eligible for free travel in those categories - retired people, carers and people who are in receipt of disability-type payments. In addition, there are more than 300,000 companion passes, which brings the total number in receipt of free travel eligibility to more than 1.1 million customers. The scheme provides free travel on Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Irish Rail and Luas as well as services provided by more than 90 private operators.

The previous Government, of which Deputy Willie O'Dea was a member, froze expenditure on the scheme in 2010 and it has remained at almost €76 million since.

There are considerable challenges ahead in protecting, as far as possible, the key income supports provided by my Department which impact in some way on the lives of almost every person in the State. As part of the deliberative process for the budget, we are reviewing all of the headings under which the Department spends money. As I stated in response to the Deputy's earlier question, no decisions have been made at this time on the upcoming budget. An interdepartmental review of the free travel scheme is being carried out with a view to ensuring the scheme operates in a sustainable and cost effective manner. The scheme plays an enormous role in the lives of very many citizens and in preventing the social isolation of elderly people. However, it is also important to look at issues certain operators have raised. They believe some individuals who are not entitled to free travel are utilising the scheme, thereby undermining it for those properly entitled to free travel.

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