Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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515. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to outline the basis upon which a commercial bus operator can be covered by the free travel pass, including the main criteria that must be met by the operator; and to identify the agency, Department or Minister that is responsible for making the decision. [35509/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The Free Travel Scheme is available to all persons aged over 66 and those under the age of 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 private transport operators countrywide.

Any private transport operator can apply to participate in the Free Travel scheme and can determine which routes they operate to include. However, there is no obligation on them to do so. Neither I, as Minister, nor the Department can require any private transport operator to participate in the scheme.

It is open to the transport operator to make contact with my officials in the Free Travel scheme area if they wish to participate in the scheme.

To be eligible to join the Free Travel scheme, the transport operator must submit a signed declaration that they hold the following documentation:

• A current Tax Clearance Certificate.
• A National/International Road Passenger Transport Operator’s Licence as issued by the Department of Transport.
• A Regular Service Licence as issued by the National Transport Authority for all the transport operator’s routes in the Free Travel Scheme.
• PSV licences in respect of each of the vehicles on which the travel operator carries Free Travel passengers.
• Insurance policies which indemnify the Minister for Social Protection against any claims, causes or actions arising out of any accident involving Free Travel passengers while embarking, travelling on or disembarking from the travel operator’s vehicles.
• A Public Liability Insurance Certificate.
• Fares structures and timetables.