Written answers

Friday, 7 September 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Free Travel Scheme Eligibility

Photo of James LawlessJames Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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1202. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a travel pass for a person (details supplied) can be reinstated in view of recent policy changes to the free travel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36707/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The current 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 approximately 914,000 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €90 million.

Persons resident in Ireland who are over 66 and persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments are eligible for the scheme.  The social welfare payments that allow persons aged under 66 to a free travel pass include disability allowance, invalidity pension, carer’s allowance and partial capacity benefit. 

The “Make Work Pay” Initiative allows people with long term disability payment who move off the payment to get a job retain their Free Travel Card for a period of five years, providing all other qualifying conditions for the free travel scheme are satisfied.

The initiative came into effect from the 6thApril 2017.  Therefore only people who move off long term disability payment to get a job from this date can retain their Free Travel Card for a period of five years.  

Any decision to amend this policy can only be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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