Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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63. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the introduction of travel vouchers for persons living in rural Ireland with no access to public transport and relying on private transport providers for essential weekly journeys; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2752/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The free travel scheme provides free travel for those with eligibility on the main public and private transport services which includes road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators who operate mainly in rural areas. There are currently approximately 873,000 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €80 million. My Department also provides annual funding of €1.5 million towards the Rural Transport Programme whichprovides services to people whose travel needs are not met by existing bus or train services.

I have no plans at this time to introduce travel vouchers for persons living in rural Ireland with no access to public transport. Any decision to do so would significantly change the nature of the free travel scheme and would have budgetary consequences.

Various alternatives to the existing system, including the use of vouchers, have been examined previously by my Department which concluded that a voucher type system, which would be open to a wide range of transport providers including taxis, would be extremely difficult to administer, open to misuse and unlikely to be sufficient to provide for an acceptable amount of travel.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme my Department may award a travel supplement in any case where the circumstances of the case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.