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Free Travel Scheme Review

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 June 2014

Thursday, 5 June 2014

Questions (67, 71)

Joe Higgins

Question:

67. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will report on her Department's review of the free travel scheme; her proposals to alter the current scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24002/14]

View answer

Clare Daly

Question:

71. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to the review of free travel, which her Department is currently undertaking, if the intention of the review is to restrict the free travel arrangement currently in place; and when a decision is likely. [24040/14]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 71 together.

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 almost 90 private transport operators. There are currently over 780,000 people in receipt of free travel.

Funding for the free travel scheme was capped 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. The work of this group is expected to conclude shortly.

I will examine the report of the working group as soon as it is available. I appreciate the importance of the scheme and the value it provides to the hundreds of thousands of mostly elderly people who use it.

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