Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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496. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if free travel can be provided for all means tested social welfare recipients to promote the use of public transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29747/24]

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 1.75 million customers when spouses and companions are included. The estimated expenditure on the 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 all means tested social welfare recipients would change this objective, and radically change the nature of the scheme.

Given the large numbers involved, extending the free travel scheme to all means tested social welfare recipients, would require significant additional funding. The extension of the Free Travel scheme to all recipients of a social welfare means tested payment would have to be considered in a wider budgetary and policy context, having regard to other competing demands for scarce resources.

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 unable to drive. 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. This extension to the scheme is now open for applications.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.