Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1287. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending free travel to those in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41441/22]
View answerThe 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 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 1,034,000 customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2022 is €95 million.
Providing an accurate projection of the cost of extending the Free Travel Scheme to all children in respect of whom a domiciliary care allowance is being paid is very difficult as the cost is determined by the usage of the extra passes provided and not by the number of newly qualified people. The fact that many operators have reduced fares for children and that in some cases children under five years of age can travel for free would also have to be taken into account. Taking all of this into consideration, I am advised that the yearly cost of the measure suggested by the Deputy could be as high as an estimated €6.15 million.
Any decision to extend the free travel scheme to all children in respect of whom a domiciliary care allowance is being paid would require additional funding for the Free Travel Scheme and would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme (SWA), the Department of Social Protection may award a travel supplement in any case where the circumstances of the case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
