The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are over one million customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2023 is €95 million.
Providing an accurate projection of the cost of extending the free travel scheme to those in receipt of the Carer's Support Grant 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 cost of the measure would also depend on the type of free travel pass issued and the duration any such pass is issued for. Therefore, my Department is not able to provide an accurate estimate cost of the measure outlined by the Deputy.
It is important to note that, in general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit.
The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers who get Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA). It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care. The Carer's Support Grant is therefore not a primary Social Protection payment and is in many cases linked to the payment of other Social Protection payments.
Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers and include help towards recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
