Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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208. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will give due consideration to including sufferers of epilepsy, a long-term condition, in the free travel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26344/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are currently approximately 828,000 people 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 epilepsy and other long-term medical conditions, 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.

Any decision to extend the 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.