Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Question:435. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason older persons are required to fill out an eight-page application form when renewing their free travel pass. [33612/23]
View answerTuesday, 11 July 2023
Questions (435)
Written answers
The 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, for example, Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, Luas, Local Link and services provided by around eighty private transport operators.
Following clarification from the Deputy, this question relates to the Free Travel application form (known as an FT1).
Of the eight page form, the Deputy will appreciate that only 5 pages contain fields for completion. The form is easy and quick to complete and designed to allow determinations to be made efficiently on all three Free Travel Pass types; personal, spouse/civil partner or companion. The applicant completes the relevant parts only.
It should be noted that most Free Travel recipients are awarded automatically, upon qualification for certain social welfare payments such as: Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, State Pensions and Widow's Contributory Pension (at age 66). None of these customers are required to complete an application form for Free Travel.
Others, living legally and permanently in the State, who may be eligible for Free Travel, include those over age 66 who do not automatically receive free travel, and those under 66 years who are: - blind or severely visually impaired but not in receipt of a Blind Pension;
- in receipt of Incapacity Supplement or Workmen's Compensation Supplement with Disablement Pension, for at least 12 months; - in receipt of a Social Security Invalidity, Incapacity Pension or Benefit, or an equivalent payment for at least 12 months, from a country covered by EU Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral Social Security Agreement; or,
- widowed or a surviving civil partner aged between 60 and 65 who qualifies for a concessionary Free Travel Pass.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.