Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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1828. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for consideration on providing free travel for all means tested social welfare recipients, to promote the use of public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42367/25]

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. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 70 private transport operators.

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.