Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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63. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the review of the free travel scheme; if she is concerned at the possible withdrawal of private transport services from the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31161/14]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate the Tánaiste on her elevation. I also congratulate her new sidekick, the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, on his well-deserved promotion. The purpose of the question is to ascertain the impact, if any, of the review of the free travel scheme, on the people who already enjoy the benefits of free travel.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy for his congratulations to me and the Minister of State, Deputy Humphreys.

The free travel scheme is currently available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, and to persons under 66 who are in receipt of certain disability-type payments or carer’s allowance. When companion and spousal passes are taken into account, more than 1.2 million people benefit at an annual cost of €77 million. The Government, in its statement of priorities for the period 2014 to 2016 published last Friday, is committed to the full retention of the free travel scheme. This commitment recognises the importance of the pass to pensioners, people with disabilities and carers. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has been highly valued as it allows beneficiaries to participate and remain active in the community. The freeze on funding for the scheme introduced by the previous Government in 2010 has placed pressure on the operation of the scheme as eligible passenger numbers have continued to rise. The Department is aware of the issues being raised by private operators and, in this regard, officials have had discussions with the National Transport Authority and the Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland.

In addition, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I established a working group, with representatives from the two Departments as well as from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the National Transport Authority, to review the free travel scheme. I expect that group to complete its work soon and its recommendations will then be considered.

It might also be noted that the Department is investing in the modernisation of the free travel scheme. The introduction of the public services card for free travel customers will provide more accurate information on transport services where integrated ticketing is supported and will also include photo identification and security features. At the start of June 2014, more than 197,000 cards with a free travel variant have been issued. The free travel pass is safe.

As the Deputy will appreciate, there has been a significant investment in the new cards to modernise the administration of the scheme and the identification of people with the photo. The free travel pass is safe.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate what the Minister has said about the introduction of the new card which will go a long way towards combatting fraud in the system. I note the Minister said her in reply that the Government is committed to the full retention of the free travel pass. Can the Minister give us an assurance today that there will not be a charge, minimal or otherwise, on people who enjoy the travel pass, that the hours during which the free travel pass can be used will not be restricted, that the modes of transport available to people with free travel will not be restricted, and that all the people who are entitled to free travel at the moment will continue to be equally entitled to it?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I have heard some of the suggestions that the Deputy has made, such as annual charges and other restrictions, which have appeared from time to time and have been suggested by people. The Deputy has suggested them here himself.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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No, I have not. I said there have been suggestions; I have not made them. I am asking the Minister to rule them out.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Let us say the Deputy has been raising the spectre of charges and restrictions. There are no proposals in that regard. The scheme is almost 50 years old. It has been remarkably robust since its inception in 1967. As I explained in my reply, there are some problems with the issue of identification and a small level of misuse of the scheme. We have now introduced 197,000 of the new public services cards, which are embedded with the photo of the person who is entitled. In this case, the initial roll-out is to retired people. Embedded also in this card is "FT" for the free travel pass. That allows a high level of safeguarding against fraud and certainty as to the identity and entitlement of the person who is seeking free travel.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister will also be aware that in some places where public bus services are not available people have access to privately operated services. Approximately 90 private operators operate the free travel scheme. Some of those are threatening to withdraw from the scheme. Can the Minister give us an assurance that she will be able to retain those 90 operators within the scheme? Does the Government have any proposals to increase the number of private operators? I believe it is the Government's intention for more routes to be privatised or at least that more routes will be given to private operators on some routes currently available only to Bus Éireann.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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From time to time some operators pull out of the scheme while other operators join it. I am aware there are cost issues for some of the operators. We are anxious to maintain those routes. As the Deputy will be aware, a number of rural transport initiatives are supported not just by my Department, but particularly by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. They can make a very specific provision of small-scale local carriage and bus services, for example, from a small village to a larger town, which are particularly popular with people such as retired people, who may be anxious to go into the next big town in order to do business or attend social events or other public events.