Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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337. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount of money reimbursed to private operators since 2022 for the operation of the free travel scheme for over-66s, broken down by year and by operator, in tabular form. [52876/25]

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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338. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for a breakdown of the current cost of the free travel pass scheme; the number of people currently availing of a free travel pass; and the average cost of the free travel pass per year for an individual. [52877/25]

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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339. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether payment rates for private operators included in the free travel scheme are based on actual use of free travel on routes, estimated usage or through some other means of calculating the level of payment to these operators. [52878/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 to 339, inclusive, together.

The free travel scheme is available to people over 66 years and to people in receipt of certain social welfare payments, or those medically certified as unfit to drive for a period of at least 12 months, who are over 17 and under 66 years. Free Travel recipients must be permanently resident in the State. The scheme permits travel for free on most CIÉ public transport services, Luas, Local Link and some 71 private operators. Free travel is also available on cross border journeys, and within Northern Ireland, for those over age 66.

At the end of August 2025, there were 1,140,359 qualified primary recipients; and the total number of beneficiaries increases to over 1.95 million when spouse and companion passes are included. €107.6 million has been provided for the fee travel scheme in 2025. My Department does not receive data on free travel usage by individual customers and therefore it is not possible to estimate the average cost of the free travel pass per year for an individual customer.

Payment rates for private operators in the free travel scheme are determined by way of a survey of the level of usage by free travel passholders on a service. Surveys are carried out for one week every second month for 6 months which encompasses one calendar year in duration. The rate of payment made to Operators is based on the journey data compiled during the survey.

My Department is currently assessing the use of real time fares foregone data in respect of free travel passenger usage, where such data can be provided by an operator using the integrated ticketing system to determine the rate of payment to individual operators going forward.

The table below details the amount paid to private Operators since 2022.

My Department is not in a position to provide an individual breakdown by individual private transport operator, as this is commercially sensitive.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.