Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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263. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full year cost in 2016 and to date in 2017 for the free travel pass scheme. [45187/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The free travel scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by some 80 private operators in various parts of the country for those eligible under the scheme. The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme and permanently living in the State. There are currently just over 897,000 customers in receipt of Free Travel.

The full year cost of the free travel scheme in 2016 was €77.112 million. To date in 2017, my Department has made payments totalling almost €65 million to companies participating in the free travel scheme.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.