Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans regarding the free travel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38621/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The free travel scheme is currently available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, to carers and to people who are in receipt of certain disability type payments. There are currently in excess of 720,000 customers eligible for free travel and when spousal and companion passes are taken into account, there are over 1.1 million customers with some free travel eligibility.

The cost of the free travel scheme has risen substantially over the last 10 years from €45.8 million for almost 608,000 customers in 2001 to over €75 million for 726,000 customers in 2011. My Department also provides some funding for the rural transport programme.

There are considerable challenges ahead to protect, as far as possible, the key income supports provided by my Department which impact in some way on the lives of almost every person in the State. As part of the deliberative process for the budget, my Department will analyse all schemes, and in so far as possible, the distributive and poverty impact of possible welfare changes. These impacts will be taken into account in arriving at the final decisions on the Budget to ensure that the scarce resources are targeted at those most in need.

To help ensure the future sustainability of the free travel scheme, a review is being carried out by officials from my Department, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the National Transport Authority. The review is in the early stages.