Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2007
320 Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will extend the free travel scheme to include the Airlink bus services to Dublin Airport; his views on whether there is an anomaly for people entitled to free rail travel to Dublin then having to pay on a public service from Heuston and Connolly Rail Stations to the airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22339/07]
View answer327 Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress that has been made with the Department of Transport and the Taxi Commission Office on the establishment of new subsidy or assistance on a pilot basis to assist wheelchair users with the cost of taxis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22626/07]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 327 together.
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind person's pension.
The 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 80 private transport operators.
Airlink Services are not covered by the free travel scheme. However, there are several other buses serving Dublin Airport from the city centre on which the free travel pass can be used and so there is no question of pass holders having to pay to access the airport by public transport.
I am aware of the difficulties that some free travel pass holders have in accessing public transport and my officials have discussed this issue with the Commission for Taxi Regulation. Various alternatives to the existing system, including the use of vouchers, have been examined. A study, "A Review of the Free Schemes," published in 2000 under the Department's programme of expenditure reviews concluded that a voucher type system, which would be open to a wide range of transport providers including taxis and hackneys, would be extremely difficult to administer, open to abuse and unlikely to be sufficient to afford an acceptable amount of travel. This position remains unchanged.
I will continue to review the operation of the free travel scheme with a view to identifying the scope for further improvements as resources permit.
