Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people in Counties Cavan and Monaghan availing of companion passes; the measures in place to promote this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50749/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The number of people in county Cavan in receipt of a Free Travel Companion Public Services Card (PSC) totals 6,994, while the number of people in county Monaghan in receipt of a Free Travel Companion PSC totals 5,885.

There are currently over 1.14 million customers with direct eligibility to Free Travel. This increases to some 1.9 million customers when spouses and companions are included. The budget allocation for free travel in 2025 is €107.6 million.

As part of Budget 2025, my government announced that from September 2025, all those in receipt of Free Travel aged 70 years or over will have an entitlement to a Free Travel Companion PSC. The first part of this project was to write to all those aged over 70 with a free travel entitlement of Single / Married to inform them that they would have an entitlement to a Free Travel Companion PSC.

The second part of this project is to issue Free Travel Companion PSC's to all these customers who have a valid (in date) Free Travel PSC. This is ongoing and will continue until over 300,000 Free Travel Companion PSC's have issued, In addition, over 200,000 customers aged over 70, whose current Free Travel PSC's have expired, were advised that they need to renew their PSC. Their PSC's can be renewed either online or by visiting their local PSC Centre. When these customers renew their PSC, they will be issued a Free Travel Companion PSC.

The effective date of this measure is 29 September 2025 and I will be making a press announcement to mark the introduction of this scheme extension before that date. The measure will also be promoted through my Department's social media platforms.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.