Written answers
Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Departmental Policies
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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928. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 204 of 30 March 2023, if, given the fact that the recipient of the free travel referred to in her reply was out of work and on supplementary welfare allowance from November 2019 to February 2021 due to medical circumstances, and given that there was no entitlement to use the free travel pass for this period, her Department will consider extending the five-year eligibility for free travel to May 2024, which would extend the eligibility of the free travel to the full five-year period while back in the workplace; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17640/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The person concerned had an entitlement to Free Travel which was linked to their Disability Allowance payment. The entitlement of the person concerned to Disability Allowance ceased in February 2018 when they commenced employment. Under the The Make Work Pay initiative, persons in receipt of a long-term disability payment can retain their entitlement to Free Travel for a period of 5 years after they move from disability payment to employment.
The person concerned retained their entitlement to Free Travel for a period of 5 years after taking up employment. As this 5 year period ended in February 2023, the person's Free Travel entitlement ceased. Persons who retain their entitlement to Free Travel for 5 years under the Make Work Pay initiative do so regardless of their employment status within that 5 year period.
As the person concerned received their full entitlement to Free Travel for 5 years under the Make Work Pay initiative, I regret there is no facility to extend their eligibility any further.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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