Trevor Sargent
Question:149 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the amount each Córas Iompair Éireann company is paid for each citizen in the State entitled to free travel. [24541/01]
Written Answers. - Free Travel Scheme.
Payments to the CIE Group for services provided under the free travel scheme are expected to amount to £31.82 million in 2001. This payment makes allowance for a discount of 40% to reflect the fact that service is not available generally to free travel passholders at peak hours in the major urban areas and that the scheme is utilising some spare off-peak capacity at lower marginal cost to the group. The internal apportionment of this amount between the three constituent companies – Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus – is a matter for CIE to determine.
There are approximately 540,000 people with free travel passes. On the basis of this overall number, the payment to CIE is equivalent to approximately £59 a year per passholder under the scheme.