Written answers

Thursday, 3 November 2016

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Free Travel Scheme

Photo of Mick BarryMick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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193. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the representations he has made to the Department of Social Protection regarding the subsidy paid to fund free travel for senior citizens which has not kept pace with demographic changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33259/16]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Free Travel Scheme is a non-statutory scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection.  It provides free travel for those with eligibility on the main public and private transport services which includes road, rail and ferry. There are currently approximately 853,000 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €80 million.

In 2012, the Department of Social Protection set up an interdepartmental working group to review the free travel scheme. My Department was represented on that working group.  I understand hat a report was completed by the Department of Social Protection in November 2014 and that the report  considered a number of issues such as funding, operation and eligibility of the scheme.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to fully protect the free travel pass for all pensioners and work with private and public operators to keep services operating on as many routes as possible. 

Clearly the issue of how the scheme is funded is important not just from the perspective of the scheme's administration but also in terms of ensuring that public transport is adequately funded generally. While the administration of the scheme is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, I understand the Deputy's point regarding the changes in demographics and usage which have occurred since the level of funding was last fixed.

The level of funding associated with the Scheme has most recently been highlighted by the National Transport Authority (NTA), as part of the Rail Review 2016 which I intend to publish shortly.

I believe the issue of funding associated with the Scheme to be an important one and I will be in contact with the Minister for Social Protection in an effort to see what progress can be made to make the scheme more effective as regards the sustainability of its funding and the implications for the provision of public transport.

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