Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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261. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the actions she will take to ensure that the senior citizens and disabled travellers who use the free travel scheme do not suffer a reduced public transport service, in view of the change of policy regarding the tendering of public transport routes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22346/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The current free travel scheme 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 90 private transport operators. Free travel is also available on cross border journeys to and from Northern Ireland, and within Northern Ireland for those aged 66 years and over. 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. There are currently approx. 828,000 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €77 million.

I appreciate the importance of the scheme and the value it provides to the hundreds of thousands of mostly elderly people who use it. It is important, however, to ensure that the scheme, which has been in operation for almost fifty years, can continue to operate in an efficient and sustainable way into the future.

While the privatisation of public transport services is a matter for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, it is my understanding that any tendering process will include a requirement for successful bidders to accept the free travel pass.

As regards routes with PSO funding, including routes previously operated by CIÉ, it is my intention that private operators will continue to be able to apply to participate in the free travel scheme.