Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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514. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for a public services card in 2022 and to date in 2023. [25019/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Some 696,000 Public Services Cards (PSC) issued in 2022 of which 285,000 were Free Travel cards.

From January to end April this year, some 235,500 PSCs were issued of which almost 95,000 were Free Travel cards.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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515. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of transport used under public services cards by individuals, by county, in 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [25021/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Free Travel Scheme was introduced in 1967 to promote social inclusion and prevent the isolation of elderly and disabled people by taking advantage of free space on public transport services.

The Free Travel Scheme is available to all persons aged over 66 and those under age 66 on certain qualified payments, who are living legally and permanently in the State. The scheme permits those who are eligible to travel for free on most CIE public transport services, Local Link, LUAS and a range of transport services offered by some 80 private operators countrywide. These operators receive payments towards the carriage of Free Travel customers across their services.

The budget allocation for the scheme for 2023 is €95 million.

The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department. Summary-only usage data is received by my Department from the National Transport Authority, with survey-only usage data received from private operators when joining the scheme, extending their services, or seeking a payment rate review.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.