Terence Flanagan
Question:99. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a free travel pass; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7077/14]
View answerWednesday, 12 February 2014
Questions (99)
Written answers
Free travel passes are already widely used on bus routes which are operated by private companies. 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.
Funding for the free travel scheme was frozen by the previous Government as outlined in the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014. During this period it has not been possible to accept additional routes or providers within the scheme.
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 shortly.