Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost to the Exchequer annually to provide free travel for people with epilepsy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9403/24]

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. This increases to 1.75million customers when spouses and companions are included. The estimated expenditure on the Free Travel in 2024 is €104 million.

As part of Budget 2024, I was particularly pleased to announce the expansion of my Department’s Free Travel Pass to support people who are medically certified as not fit to drive, including those with epilepsy.

There will be no requirement that a person must be in receipt of a Social Welfare payment in order to qualify for a free travel pass on these medical grounds, provided the other qualifying criteria are met. The implementation date for the measure is July 2024.

Providing an estimate of the cost of extending the free travel scheme to those with epilepsy is not possible as the cost is determined by the usage of the extra passes provided and not by the increased number.

Usage amongst this cohort of people would be expected to be greater than amongst the existing cohort of people eligible for free travel and it is not possible to project the distribution of usage across the range of transport providers in the free travel scheme.

It is important to note that my Department can also provide support by way of an Additional Needs Payment toward the cost of essential travel. This support is for people who cannot meet this cost from their own resources and is available through our Community Welfare Officers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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78. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost to the Exchequer annually to abolish the means test for fish assist and farm assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9405/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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While sectoral supports in this area are a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Social Protection administers the Farm Assist scheme, which is a statutory means-tested income support specifically for farmers on low-incomes. There are approximately 4,000 claims in payment at present. The Government has provided €50.93 million for the scheme in 2024.

A self-employed fisherman or fisherwoman on a low income may qualify for Fish Assist, a support provided under the Jobseeker's Allowance scheme. To qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance you must be available for and genuinely seeking work. You must also satisfy a means test.

I have introduced a number of improvements to the means test for Farm Assist in recent years. The same provisions for Farm Assist apply to Fish Assist.

Under the Farm Assist means test, income from a range of agri-environmental schemes attract a disregard of €5,000, increased from €2,540 from January 2023, with 50% of the balance assessed as means. I increased the number of schemes that qualify for this regard from 4 to 19, with effect from June 2022. From April 2023 I added an additional 4 schemes to this list.

There are also annual disregards for dependent children; €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and other children. Remaining farm income and income from off-farm self-employment is then assessed at 70%, with 30% disregarded. In line with the provisions for Jobseeker's Allowance, a disregard of €20 per day, up to a maximum of €60 for up to three days, applies to off-farm earnings from employment in the means test for Farm Assist, with 60% if the balance assessed as means. As is the case for other means-tested social welfare schemes, the first €20,000 of capital is not assessed.

It is not possible to accurately calculate the cost of abolishing the means test for these schemes. To do so would effectively result in a universal payment for farmers and fishermen/fisherwomen.

As an indicator, according to the 2022 Teagasc Farm Survey there were approximately 86,000 farms in Ireland at that time. The current maximum personal rate of payment for Farm and Fish Assist is €232 per week. The cost of a universal payment at this rate to 86,000 farmers would be over €1 billion annually, with additional costs arising in respect of dependent adults and children. Using CSO data, which indicates that there are over 71,000 self-employed persons involved in agriculture, forestry and fishing, the annual cost of such a payment would be €857 million in addition to that for dependents.

I trust this clarifies the position for the deputy.