Terence Flanagan
Question:326. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views regarding the free travel pass (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20314/13]
View answerTuesday, 30 April 2013
Questions (326)
Written answers
There are currently in excess of 745,000 customers eligible for free travel and when spousal and companion passes are taken into account, there are over 1.1 million customers with some free travel eligibility. Expenditure on this scheme was frozen at 2010 levels by the previous Government. Expenditure for the free travel scheme in 2013 is set at €77 million.
The free travel scheme is currently available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, to carers and to customers under 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type payments. The scheme permits customers to travel for free on most CIE public transport services, DART, LUAS and a range of services offered by up to 90 private operators in various parts of the country.
I have no plans to change the current qualifying criteria for the scheme. However, given the increasing number of recipients and the funding pressures, my Department along with representatives from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the National Transport Authority has been tasked to review the free travel scheme. The work of this group is expected to conclude mid-2013.
The purpose of this review is to examine and report on the current operation and future development of the free travel scheme including how the scheme is funded.