Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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148. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration will be given by her Department for the entitlement to free travel in circumstances in which there is a rapid onset of a fatal medical diagnosis but in which the person does not have the required social welfare payment eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4828/23]

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.  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 approximately 1,054,000 customers with direct eligibility.  The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2023 is €95 million.

It is important to note that, 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.  Importantly, as many illnesses or physical conditions have an impact across a spectrum from mild to severe, entitlement to these social welfare schemes is not provided on the basis of a diagnosis but on the basis of the impact of that diagnosis on the individual concerned.  Social welfare schemes are also subject to a means test or social insurance contribution conditions.

Therefore, while a diagnosis of a particular medical condition will be required to establish if a person may be eligible for certain social welfare schemes, evidence of the impact of the diagnosis, as well as a means test or social insurance condition, are also required before entitlement to the scheme is established.  The sole exception to this general approach is in respect of people who are blind.

While consideration is always given to any requests to improve or extend eligibility to the Free Travel scheme, uncoupling the link between receipt of particular social welfare payments and eligibility for the Free Travel scheme would so fundamentally alter the scheme that it would move it away from being a social welfare measure to being a general transport initiative.

Any such change would also require potentially very significant additional funding for the Free Travel scheme and would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary resources.

Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources.  These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers and include help towards recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary.

A travel supplement may also be paid where a person has a recurring travel expense (for example, where a person has ongoing travel costs for hospital visits).

Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the 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.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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149. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will elaborate on section 119 (b) of the Social Welfare Act 2005, as it relates to applications for the invalidity pension and specifically the requirement for class A PRSI contributions in the relevant years; the person or body that is routinely liable for paying class A PRSI contributions; the reason that all other categories of PRSI contributions in the relevant period are deemed ineligible for consideration for the invalidity pension; her views on whether these conditions are fair and equitable with regard to the invalidity pension in circumstances in which there is a rapid onset of a fatal medical diagnoses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4837/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment provided by my Department to those who cannot work due to an illness or disability and who are covered by social insurance.  There is a contributory and a medical condition to determine eligibility for Invalidity Pension.

Regarding the contributory eligibility, employed contributors are insured to different degrees depending on their class of insurance.  Contributors insured at Classes A, E, H and S are insured for Invalidity Pension.  Most people in industrial, commercial and service-type employment who are employed under a contract of service, with reckonable pay of €38 or more per week from all employments; and civil and public servants recruited from 6 April 1995 pay Class A social insurance.  These workers pay a contribution of 4% on their weekly earnings and their employers pay a contribution of 8.8% where employees’ weekly earnings are €441 or less and 11.05% where their employees’ weekly earnings exceed €441.  Such contributors have access to the full range of social insurance benefits.

As per Section 119 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act of 2005, in order to qualify for Invalidity Pension, the person must have at least 260 weeks (5 years) of paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance, and 48 weeks of paid or credited PRSI contributions in the last or second-last complete contribution year before the start of the incapacitating illness or disability.  The purpose of the minimum number of contributions required is to ensure a substantial history of attachment to the labour force.  The purpose of the required number in recent years is to ensure a recent attachment to the labour force.

Regarding medical eligibility, it is important to note that eligibility for illness and disability payments is generally not dependent on the type of the illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.  In order to qualify the person:

- must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months, or

- must be permanently incapable of work.

Those who do not qualify for Invalidity Pension may be eligible to apply for Disability Allowance.  This is a means-tested income support provided by my Department to those who cannot work due to a disability.  Applicants must meet the age, residency and means test criteria along with satisfying the medical requirement for the scheme.

With regard to additional supports, this Department also provides Additional Needs Payments under our Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.  This includes exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.  The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently on a social welfare payment or in employment.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.