Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the travel pass to cover carers and the people for whom they care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20173/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The free travel scheme is available to people aged 66 years or over, those in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age. 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.

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 those children under 16 requiring full-time care, a domiciliary care allowance of €309.50 per month 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. Funding for the free travel scheme is currently frozen at 2010 levels of expenditure as outlined in the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014 and the 2011 Budget. The Department, therefore, is not in a position to extend the scheme at this time.