Written answers

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Departmental Schemes

9:00 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 749: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her plans to introduce a system in which persons entitled to free travel who cannot avail of public transport for hospital appointments will obtain a refund for the cost of taxis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1151/10]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The free travel scheme is available to people aged 66 years or over, carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind person's pension. People resident in the State who are in receipt of a social security payment from a country covered by EU Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement, and who have been in receipt of this payment for at least 12 months, are also eligible for free travel.

The current free travel scheme operated by the Department provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. I have no plans to extend the scheme to include single journeys with taxi companies.

While the scheme is free for those who are eligible, all of the transport companies involved, including CIE, are paid for the service by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The estimated cost of the scheme in 2009 was €76.4 million.

Question No. 750 answered with Question No. 744.

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