Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2021
688. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1207 of 21 April 2021 and a matter (details supplied), if she will include this small number of persons who without the free travel scheme are incurring significant personal costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22357/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile I have sympathy for all persons who incur significant travel expense in their daily lives because of a disability, extending the free travel scheme to the cohort of people highlighted by the Deputy cannot be considered in isolation. As the 700 service users do not meet the medical conditions to be registered as blind or are not in receipt of a payment from my Department that would qualify them for a free travel pass, the provision of the free travel pass would be on the basis that their disability prevents them from holding a driving licence.
There are a range of disabilities and medical conditions that can prevent a person from holding a driving licence and to award a free travel pass to any one of these conditions in isolation would immediately result in calls for all people who are not allowed hold a driving licence because of their medical condition to receive the free travel pass. The Department would also most likely face challenges under the Equal Status Act if they refused these calls.
As previously stated any possible extension to the eligibility criteria for free travel to include people who are deemed unsuitable to drive by the national licensing authority because of their disability would have to be considered in the overall budgetary and policy context. It would be expected that any such extension to the eligibility criteria would have significant implications for the free travel scheme, including significant extra funding requirements.
I would again urge the Deputy to highlight to the NCBI service users the availability of support under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
