Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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282. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department will liaise with the relevant authorities to introduce a school pupils free travel scheme bus pass, similar to the free travel scheme for adults, recognising that children in rural areas can avail of free travel, but not those in urban areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3608/24]

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. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2024 is €104 million.

The objective of the free travel scheme is to ensure older people and people with disabilities remain active within their community. Extending the eligibility of the free travel scheme to include school children, would change this objective, and radically change the nature of the scheme.

The Department has therefore, no plans to extend the free travel scheme to include school pupils.

The School Transport Scheme supports transport to and from school for children who reside remote from their nearest school. The scheme is under the remit of the Department of Education and any requests for extension of the scheme to those in urban areas should be referred to the Minister for Education.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.