Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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109. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans for a comprehensive review of means tests across the social welfare system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50710/25]

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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146. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when he expects to publish the comprehensive review of means test across the social welfare system as committed in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50463/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 146 together.

Means tests are a central part of any social welfare system in ensuring that limited resources are targeted at those who are most in need. Ireland's system of social transfers consistently ranks among the top performers in the European Union for poverty reduction.

A key factor in this achievement is Ireland's use of means testing in targeting resources for the most vulnerable in our society. In addition, research indicates that targeting of supports to more vulnerable cohorts, through means testing, continues to be important even as societal income overall increases.

Means tests and income thresholds are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years. A number of changes to means testing which provide for higher income disregards have been introduced in recent Budgets. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a social assistance payment and are working, a certain level of income from that work is not assessed in the means test.

Currently, my Department is conducting a comprehensive review of means testing within the social protection system. The aim is to examine various means-tested schemes and identify any issues related to their respective means tests. With over 90 schemes, many of which are means-tested, this is a complex and detailed task.

It is my intention that the review's findings will guide decisions regarding potential changes to means testing in future Budgets.

The review is nearing completion and I expect that it will be submitted to me very shortly. Due to the complexity of the review, I will carefully and thoroughly evaluate it to determine the best way to utilise its findings and identify those that warrant further consideration. However, any prospective changes to means testing arrangements will need to be evaluated and considered within the broader context of overall policy and budgetary considerations.

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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110. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people who have received the free travel pass since it was extended to persons who are medically unable to drive, by county; the cost of this expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50596/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public transport services and and on private transport services operating the Free Travel scheme. There are over 1.1 million customers with direct eligibility for Free Travel.

As part of Budget 2024, Free Travel was extended to people who are medically certified as unfit to drive.

From 29th July 2024, the measure extended access to the Free Travel scheme to:

• people who have never been medically fit to drive due to a disability; and
• drivers who have a license and have been deemed medically unfit to drive for a period of one year or longer.