Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 April 2019
525. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of extending the free travel scheme for children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14746/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra555. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide for a free travel pass for children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance in view of the numerous medical appointments they may have to travel to attend; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15171/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 555 together.
Domiciliary care allowance is a monthly payment of €309.50 to the carer of a child with a disability. There are currently 43,439 children who benefit from the allowance. The allowance may be used for the additional costs involved in caring for the child, including additional transport costs where they arise.
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 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 approx. 939,000 customers with direct eligibility. Following Budget 2019 the funding for the free travel scheme was increased by €5 million to a total of €95 million.
Providing an estimate of the cost of extending the free travel scheme to all children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance is difficult as the cost is determined by the usage of the extra passes provided, and not by the increased number. 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 the yearly cost of the measure suggested by the Deputy may be in the region of €5 million, however this is a tentative estimate.
Any decision to extend the free travel scheme to all children who are in receipt of a domiciliary care allowance 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 Employment Affairs and 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 client’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.
