Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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138. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who are in receipt of the free travel scheme that are under and over 66 years of age respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8913/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The information requested regarding the age profile of free travel customers is as follows –

Under 66 years 245,931

Over 66 years628,707

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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139. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of private bus transport companies which have opted into the free travel scheme; and if he will provide a list of those companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8915/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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There are currently 80 private operators participating in the free travel scheme and of this 60 are bus companies.

The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following table.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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140. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the frequency of use or non-use by persons in receipt of the free travel scheme is recorded or audited; the number of persons using the free travel scheme on private bus transport companies; the number of persons using the free travel scheme on public bus and other transport services; his plans to make changes to the scheme based on results of any such audits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8917/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Where the Integrated Ticketing System is enabled by transport operators and the customer is using the new Public Services Card Free Travel variant (rather than the paper free travel pass), it is possible to collect some data on usage. However, as the Integrated Ticketing System has limited roll-out across transport operators at present, the precise data requested by the Deputy is not currently available to my Department. The full roll-out of the free travel variant of Public Services Card will allow for more comprehensive data to be collected on usage or non-usage of free travel when all transport operators have implemented the Integrated Ticketing System. It is important to note however, that if a customer is issued with a free travel pass and does not use it there is no cost to my Department apart from the administrative cost of issuing the pass and maintaining records.

Payments to private travel operators are determined by way of a survey of their passenger numbers at a given point in time. New private operators seeking to enter the free travel scheme or existing private free travel operators seeking an increase in their payments must go through the survey process. Where surveys of operators have not been undertaken in recent years my Department has asked operators to put such surveys in train as part of its control and review strategy.

In addition to the surveys my Department carries out periodic inspections of private operators within the free travel scheme. The inspections are a means of monitoring the scheme to ensure compliance with my Department’s requirements and to confirm information already held on file in relation to operators, routes and schedules. If an operator is found, in the course of an inspection, not to be complying fully with the terms of their agreement, the matter is referred to the National Transport Authority, who is the licensing authority.

My Department makes a block payment to the CIE Group in respect of transport services provided nationwide by the Group and the apportionment of payment between the three constituent companies, Bus Éireann, Bus Átha Cliath and Iarnród Éireann is a matter for the CIE Group to determine.

In relation to CIE, rather than carrying out specific surveys of usage, my Department moved to a service model based on the transportation infrastructure and the introduction of new services e.g. LUAS and removal of the restrictions on free travel during peak hours. At each stage, my Department has negotiated rates and discounts to reflect these developments. Payments for LUAS were calculated on the basis of ridership and ticket survey information.

I am fully committed to maintaining the Free Travel scheme and there are no plans to make any changes to customer eligibility for the scheme.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.