Written answers

Tuesday, 11 April 2017

Department of Social Protection

Free Travel Scheme Eligibility

Photo of Brian StanleyBrian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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340. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the free travel pass for pensioners who have permanent residence here and are citizens but out of the State for a number of months each year on missionary duties. [17478/17]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The 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 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 877,000 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €80 million. The scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. To qualify for the scheme, applicants who are under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment. These 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.

To receive a free travel pass a pensioner must be over 66 and permanently resident in the State. Where a person is out of the State for a number of months on missionary duties it is open to them to apply for a free travel pass and each case will be decided on its own merits depending on the circumstances. Any decision to extend the free travel scheme to persons who are not permanently resident in the State would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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