Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The entitlement of the person concerned to a Free Travel Pass was linked to their former entitlement to Disability Allowance, which ceased in October 2018. Under the Make Work Pay initiative, the person is entitled to retain their Free Travel Pass for a period of 5 years after taking up employment. The 5 year period has now ended and the person's entitlement to Free Travel has accordingly been stopped.

I am pleased to say that in Budget 2024, I secured a significant extension to the Free Travel scheme for people who are medically certified as unfit to drive for a period of at least 12 months. This scheme extension is effective from July 2024 and preparation work is ongoing within my Department.

There will be a publicity campaign in Quarter 2 of 2024 to launch this new extension to the Free Travel scheme and to advise when applications can be submitted. It will be open to the person concerned to apply for this extension to the Free Travel scheme at that stage.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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779. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if supports are in place to facilitate the purchase of laptops and other necessary IT equipment for people who are long-term unemployed and who need such equipment for education courses to help them re-enter employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48623/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not operate a scheme to support the purchase of laptops and other IT equipment for education courses. As part of the Covid 19 support measures, the Government provided grant funding to the Higher Education Institutions and the Education and Training Boards to provide a targeted laptop loan scheme in each organisation. I would suggest that this matter be raised with my colleague the Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research and Science.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.