Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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366. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of expired public service free travel cards still in use as a result of Covid-19 restrictions on accessing the in-office services her Department provides; the timeline in respect of rectifying this issue; and if this issue has been notified to auditors at her Department. [43196/20]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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367. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will automatically extend the free travel passes expiring in 2020 and 2021 for a three-year period, given that no letters advising persons that their cards are due to expire are issuing to free travel pass holders and is causing them to be refused access to buses and trains in circumstances in which they no longer have an active card (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43208/20]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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368. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of free travel passes that expired in 2020; the number that were extended and reissued; the number due to expire in 2021 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43209/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 366 to 368, inclusive, together.

To date my Department has issued over 1.4 million free travel Public Services Cards (PSCs). These allow customers avail of free travel across public transport services.

Cards issued up to November 2018 expire after seven years. Cards issued since then are valid for ten years.

Approximately 68,000 free travel cards expired or are due to expire during 2020 while approximately 222,000 such cards are due to expire during 2021.

In March 2020, in order to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing, my Department temporarily postponed the issuing of letters inviting customers to attend an office of the Department to renew their public services card.

To ensure continuity of access to free travel for customers who could not renew their card, an arrangement was made by my Department with the National Transport Authority that all transport operators would allow customers with a free travel card to continue to avail of free travel even if the card had expired. As the arrangement incurs no additional costs, there is no requirement to appraise the Department's auditors.

This interim measure during the COVID-19 crisis was publicised on my Department’s page on gov.ie on 9 April 2020 and remains in place.

Implementation of the arrangement is a matter for the National Transport Authority. Reports of incidents, such as that provided by the Deputy, are referred to the National Transport Authority for direct follow up.

In June 2020, my Department introduced the facility to issue a new card, valid for a further three year period, to customers whose cards had expired. Customers can avail of this service by telephoning the free travel or PSC helpdesk areas of my Department where my staff will be happy to assist them.

My Department has no plans to automatically renew all expiring cards as to do so would run the risk of data breaches where, for example, customers have moved address since their last contact with my Department.

To date, some 4,800 free travel customers have had a new 3 year card issued and a further 14,800 have renewed their card for a further 10 years.

The COVID pandemic has affected the capacity of my Department to facilitate in-person PSC renewals. My Department is working on increasing the capacity in our offices in respect of such appointments, and I expect that capacity will be increased over Quarter 1 of 2021.

In addition, my Department is developing an online PSC renewal service. It is expected that this service will be available in April 2021.

The restrictions introduced in March this year and the measures taken since have all been implemented to ensure reduced footfall in our offices and to protect the health and wellbeing of our customers and staff.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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369. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will advise free travel pass users via social media or online advice platforms that they will not be receiving a notification letter three months prior to the expiration of their free travel pass as no online notification of this exists (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43210/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In March 2020, in order to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing, my Department temporarily postponed the issuing of letters inviting customers to attend an office of the Department to renew their public services card.

To ensure continuity of access to free travel for customers who could not renew their card, an arrangement was made by my Department with the National Transport Authority whereby all transport operators would allow customers with a free travel card to continue to avail of free travel even if the card had expired.

This interim measure, for the period of the COVID-19 crisis, was publicised on my Department’s page on gov.ie on 9 April 2020 and remains in place. Arrangements have been made to re-publicise this message on gov.ie and to remind free travel customers planning to use Iarnród Éireann Intercity services from 18 December 2020 to 6th January 2021 of the need to pre-book their seats.

In June 2020, my Department introduced the facility to issue a new card, valid for a further three year period, to customers whose cards had expired. Customers can avail of this service by telephoning the free travel or PSC helpdesk areas of my Department where my staff will be happy to assist them.

The restrictions introduced in March this year and the measures taken since have all been implemented to ensure reduced footfall in our offices, to protect the health and wellbeing of our customers and staff.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.