Terence Flanagan
Question:160. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to cut the free travel pass for senior citizens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1997/14]
View answerThursday, 16 January 2014
Questions (160)
Written answers
My Department has no plans to abolish free travel for senior citizens. The current free travel 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 90 private transport operators. There are currently over 780,000 people in receipt of free travel.
I appreciate the important role that free travel plays in promoting social inclusion and preventing the isolation of elderly people. Funding for the free travel scheme was frozen by the previous Government at €77 million as outlined in the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014. This cap remains in place. Given the increasing number of recipients and the funding pressures, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I established a working group with representatives from the two Departments, as well as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the National Transport Authority to review the free travel scheme. The purpose of this review is to examine and report on the current operation and future development of the free travel scheme. This will include the conditions imposed on the scheme in the National Recovery Plan 2011 – 2014. The work of this group is expected to conclude early this year.