Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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251. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department has carried out a cost analysis of establishing the free travel scheme as a standalone directly applicable benefit; the estimated cost of such a measure; the projected staff resources required to establish the free travel scheme in such a way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36880/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, 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 approximately 999,000 customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2021 is €95 million.

In general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit.

My Department has not carried out a cost analysis of establishing the free travel scheme as a directly applicable benefit and therefore cannot provide the estimated cost of such a measure or the projected staff resources required.

Undertaking such a cost analysis would not be simple as it would depend on a range of factors including the new qualifying criteria which the Deputy envisages as being applicable for the scheme, any processes, systems or dependencies associated with such criteria, the type of travel pass issued (e.g., single or companion pass etc.), the number of journeys made using the free travel pass, the prevailing fares, and the type of journeys undertaken, i.e., rail, bus or Luas.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may award a travel supplement, where the circumstances of the particular case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the individual case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.