Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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72. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide an update on her Department's review of the extension of the free travel scheme to people with epilepsy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24660/23]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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This week is national epilepsy week. I am raising a very important issue which matters to people with epilepsy, namely, improved access to the free travel scheme for people with epilepsy. As the Minister will be aware, epilepsy is a complex individual condition. People living with it face a wide range of challenges. We are awaiting a final report from the Department on proposals Epilepsy Ireland made on this issue. Why has this report not been finalised? Will the Minister give a commitment on when it will be ready?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

The free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over 1 million users with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2023 is €95 million.

It is important to note that, in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary social protection payments from my Department such as disability allowance, invalidity pension, carer's allowance and blind pension.

As many illnesses or physical conditions have an impact ranging from mild to severe, entitlement to these social welfare schemes is not provided on the basis of a diagnosis but on the basis of the impact of that diagnosis on the individual concerned and, in the case of disability and carer's allowance, on an assessment of his or her means. In this way, resources can be targeted to people in most need.

I am aware of an ongoing campaign by Epilepsy Ireland. I fully recognise the issues and difficulties that can arise where a person diagnosed with epilepsy is unable to drive as a result of his or her condition. I have met with representatives of Epilepsy Ireland to discuss its proposal in detail. Following the meeting, I asked my officials to examine the issues raised in relation to access to the free travel scheme. I am awaiting a report from my officials on the issues raised by Epilepsy Ireland. I expect to receive the report shortly and will carefully consider its contents and any recommendations it may contain. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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We could do with a little more information. As the Minister will be aware, there are 40,000 people living with epilepsy in Ireland. With the right treatment regime, 70% of people diagnosed with epilepsy can become seizure free but for 30%, their condition will be more challenging due to the nature and impact of uncontrolled seizures.

Almost all diagnoses of epilepsy in adults come with restrictions on driving. This typically occurs without time to plan and prepare and can lead to major challenges and upheaval in a person's family, social and working life while he or she is learning to cope with a neurological diagnosis. Persons with epilepsy who hold a driver's licence and experiences a breakthrough seizure will lose their licence for a further 12 months until they become one-year seizure free. Many of the people with long-term uncontrolled epilepsy, who make up 30% of diagnoses, will never be able to hold a driver's licence.

The fundamental issue is that the State tells these people that they cannot drive, which is reasonable, and they get assistance with their transport. As the Minister will understand, the way to go about this is through the free travel scheme.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the points the Deputy is making. I know people who have epilepsy and it is not easy for them. If someone loses his or her licence due to a seizure, that is an awful place to be. I understand that.

As I said, I met with Epilepsy Ireland last year because I wanted to discuss this matter to see what I could do. The problem I have, one that the officials in the Department are at pains to point out to me, is that the free travel pass is linked to the social welfare payment the person receives, whether that is a pension, a disability payment or another payment. It is not based on the person's medical condition or illness but on the payment. If we were to break that link, it would be a fundamental change in how the scheme is run and I imagine it would give rise to calls from other groups. For example, if someone with epilepsy were to get access to the scheme, what about someone who cannot drive because he or she has multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease? I am not saying we should not do it but it is a big change. It has wider implications and for that reason, it needs to be considered carefully.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I take the Minister's point but in the majority of the examples that one could give of people with other conditions, the individuals in question will already have a qualifying payment. Many people will be on disability allowance or invalidity allowance because of their condition and will be entitled to free travel in any event. I am not sure we are talking about a large number of additional people receiving free travel.

I appreciate this would be a significant departure. However, given that free travel was provided to people with certain conditions many decades ago, prior to the introduction of the qualifying payments, it is not an unreasonable proposal.

The Minister stated she was hoping she would have the report shortly. "Shortly" can mean many things in these Houses. Can the Minister give us a better sense of what precisely it means in this case?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As soon as I get the report, I will see what it says and consider it carefully. The first person I need to talk to is the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, because the Government has made some very positive changes recently in reducing the cost of public transport, particularly for young people.

Perhaps we need to consider that in circumstances where someone is medically certified as being unable to drive or loses his or her driver's licence due to a medical condition, he or she should have an automatic entitlement to a free travel pass regardless of income or whether he or she is in receipt of a welfare payment. That could be the fairest way to deal with this. However, that would probably need to be led by or at least have substantial input from the Minister for Transport.

I am aware, as the Deputy is, that some pensioners, including many farmers, who have a free travel pass never use it, while other people who cannot get a pass have a genuine need for free travel as it would make a huge difference to their lives and in allowing them to live independently. I would like to do something in this are but, as with everything I do, I have to look at the wider consequences.

I am committed to getting the report from my officials, hopefully, in the next few weeks, and we will take the matter from there.