Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

201. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the free travel companion pass for visually impaired children is not widened to include children with other physical or intellectual disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8010/15]

Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

202. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on the current situation where parents of certain children with disabilities may qualify for free travel if they are in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance and qualify for carer’s allowance, but the child for whom the allowance is granted is not eligible for free travel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8011/15]

Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

203. To ask the Minister for Social Protection outside of school transport schemes for children with special education needs and the free travel companion pass for visually impaired children, the free travel schemes that are available for intellectually or disabled children under 16 years of age; her views that this cohort is adequately catered for, in terms of free travel entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8012/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 to 203, inclusive, together.

There are currently approximately 800,000 people in Ireland in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €77 million per annum.

The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66, including those with learning disabilities, must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme. The qualifying payments for those aged under 66 are invalidity pension, blind pension, disability allowance, carer’s allowance or an equivalent social security payment from a country covered by EC Regulations or one with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement. Free travel is provided for people in receipt of carer’s allowance to facilitate their caring role and support their social inclusion.

There is a provision for free travel passes for visually impaired children who satisfy the medical conditions for the blind pension. The provision is a long-standing one based on supports for the blind, including the blind pension, that predated other supports for the disabled.

Children with other disabilities may qualify for the domiciliary care allowance. This is a monthly payment of €309.50 to the carer of a child with a disability. The allowance may be used for the additional costs involved in caring for the child and this may include additional transport costs. On most transport services children under 16 years of age are charged fares at special concessionary child rates.

Any decision to extend the free travel scheme to persons who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of budget negotiations.