Written answers

Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Department of Social Protection

Free Travel Scheme Eligibility

Photo of Gabrielle McFaddenGabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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51. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on resolving an anomaly 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. [17249/15]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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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 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.

Children with 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.

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.

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