Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on granting free travel to children under 16 years of age when a carer's allowance is being paid in respect of the child in view of the fact that the carer requires free travel. [46470/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain older people or people with a disability with full time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. Persons who are in receipt of carer's allowance also receive the annual respite care grant, the household benefits package and the free travel pass.

In the majority of cases, persons who are being cared for will be in receipt of a payment in their own right (for example a state pension or disability allowance) and will be entitled to have a free travel pass. This includes anyone aged over 16 who qualifies for disability allowance.

For a child requiring full-time care who is under age 16, a domiciliary care allowance may be paid to the parent or guardian. This payment is not means tested and is to provide for the additional costs involved in providing care and supervision that is substantially more than that normally needed by a child of the same age. This may include additional travel costs. A child who is attending school may be eligible for assistance under the Department of Education and Science's school transport scheme.

I have no plans at present to review the qualifying criteria for the free travel scheme or to provide free travel passes for children other than those who are in receipt of a qualifying payment from the Department.