Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2022
398. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of inspections of road passenger bus services involved in the free travel scheme that were conducted by departmental officials by route from 1 January 2015 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [61822/22]
View answer399. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of complaints received by her Department regarding the operation of the free travel scheme by bus route from 1 January 2015 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [61823/22]
View answer400. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of investigations conducted by her departmental officials into the operation of the free travel scheme on specific bus routes; and the outcome of such investigations. [61824/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 398, 399 and 400 together.
The free travel scheme was introduced in 1967 to promote social inclusion and prevent the isolation of elderly and disabled people by taking advantage of free space on public transport services.
The scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Local Link, Luas and a range of services offered by some 77 private operators in various parts of the country for those eligible. The free travel scheme is available to all persons aged over 66, and those under age 66 on qualified payments, who are living legally and permanently in the State.
At the end of November 2022, there were 1,052,792 customers eligible for Free Travel. When spousal and companion pass holders are taken into consideration, the number eligible for free travel increases to over 1.73 million.
Below is a table of survey inspections of bus service participants of the Free Travel scheme, conducted by officials from my Department, by route, from 1 January 2015 to March 2020,. These routes were surveyed to determine the appropriate level of payment for the carriage of Free Travel recipients. During that period, 116 routes were surveyed, as provided in the table below, resulting in fixed monthly payments attributable to each route, following completion of the survey process. Route survey inspections were suspended from March 2020 in response to the prevailing health advice and travel restrictions due to the Covid 19 pandemic. This activity will resume shortly, as Free Travel passengers availing of their entitlement return to more normal levels.
Since 1 January 2015, following compliance inspections, two routes are no longer included in the Free Travel scheme and during the same period, only one formal complaint was received with the issue now resolved.
|
Year |
Bus routes |
|
2015 |
Wexford to Kilmore Quay |
|
Wexford to Rosslare Harbour |
|
|
Wexford Town Service |
|
|
Wexford to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Wexford to Castlebridge |
|
|
Milltown to Galway |
|
|
Dunmore to Galway |
|
|
Ballinrobe to Galway |
|
|
Maynooth to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Eden Quay –Dublin City Centre – Swords Manor |
|
|
Gorey Railway Station to Gorey Railway Station. |
|
|
Annagry and Dungloe |
|
|
Portumna-Dublin (Sun-Sat) |
|
|
Tullamore-Galway (Fri-Mon) |
|
|
Swanlinbar and Cavan and Enniskillen. |
|
|
Cockhill and Bridgend to Derry. |
|
|
Annagry to Belfast. |
|
|
Glen and Letterkenny |
|
|
Portlaoise-Abbeyleix-Urlingford-Cashel (Mon-Sun) |
|
|
Kilkenny-Castlecomer-Athy-Kilcullen-Naas-Dublin City |
|
|
Cavan-Crossdoney-Arva-Drumlish-Longford |
|
|
2016 |
Clonmel to Dublin Airport |
|
Kilkenny city services |
|
|
Rossport and Belmullet via Glenamoy and Inver |
|
|
Donegal-Sligo-Mayo-Galway |
|
|
Bray Southern Cross Road and Sandyford Luas Terminal. |
|
|
Tourmakeady and Castlebar |
|
|
Kilcullen - Newbridge |
|
|
Clane to Naas |
|
|
Clonaslee to UCD Campus |
|
|
Clonmel and Dublin Airport. |
|
|
Galway City services |
|
|
Dingle and Killarney |
|
|
Taghmon and Wexford Town. |
|
|
2017 |
Cobh to Cork City Service |
|
Wexford to Carlow. |
|
|
Ballybay - Dublin |
|
|
Tralee Town Services including the Tesco to Blennerville route and Tesco to Manor route. |
|
|
Leeney’s Cross to Charleville |
|
|
Maynooth and Dublin Airport |
|
|
St. Patrick’s Dundalk – Avenue Road Dundalk |
|
|
Kilduff and Limerick City via Old Pallasgreen |
|
|
Kilduff and Limerick via Cappamore |
|
|
Dublin and Dundalk, Grange Rath and Dublin, IFSC |
|
|
Moville – Derry - Dublin |
|
|
Annagry – Letterkenny - Dublin |
|
|
New Ross to Kilkenny |
|
|
Graiguenamanagh and Kilkenny |
|
|
Kilmuckridge and Wexford |
|
|
Ballyvaldon and Wexford |
|
|
Crolly and Letterkenny |
|
|
Portlaoise to Errill |
|
|
Mountmellick to Portlaoise to Kilkenny |
|
|
Mountmellick to Tullamore |
|
|
Dunmore East to Waterford |
|
|
Passage East to Waterford |
|
|
Portlaw to Waterford |
|
|
Tournafulla-Abbeyfeale |
|
|
2018 |
Ardgroom to Cork City |
|
Waterford to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Limerick to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Cobh to Cork City Service |
|
|
Drumkeeran to Sligo |
|
|
Eden Quay –Dublin City Centre – Swords Manor |
|
|
Cork to Dublin airport via Dublin City |
|
|
Dundalk to Blackrock |
|
|
Dundalk to Muirhevnamore. |
|
|
Galway to Cork Airport |
|
|
Galway to Dublin Airport Express |
|
|
Galway to Dublin Airport Eireagle |
|
|
Cleggan to Galway |
|
|
Limerick to Dublin Airport Eireagle |
|
|
Galway and Dublin Airport via Dublin City Commuter service |
|
|
Clonmel to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Clones to Dublin |
|
|
Mountmellick to Tullamore |
|
|
Tullamore to Mullingar |
|
|
Mountmellick to Tullamore via Clonaslee |
|
|
Drumshanbo-Sligo |
|
|
Wexford to Waterford |
|
|
Gorey to Dublin City & Airport via Arklow Town and Wicklow Town. |
|
|
Cavan to Longford. |
|
|
2019 |
Cobh town service |
|
Urlingford-Roscrea-Kilkenny |
|
|
Thurles-Clonmel |
|
|
Castlecomer PO - The Parade, Kilkenny |
|
|
Castlecomer-Kilkenny |
|
|
Ballina-Galway |
|
|
Ballybay – Dublin – Ballybay |
|
|
Tallaght to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Maynooth and Dublin Airport |
|
|
Portlaoise to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Dublin to Kilkenny/Waterford/ Cork Licence |
|
|
Dundrum to Dublin Airport Licence |
|
|
Portarlington to Kildare |
|
|
Dublin to Limerick-Ennis/Killarney/Tralee |
|
|
Limerick-Limerick |
|
|
Dublin to Belfast |
|
|
Athenry and Galway City |
|
|
Galway to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Gorey and Gorey |
|
|
Blackrock-Newry |
|
|
Carndonagh to Letterkenny service |
|
|
Naas to Dublin Airport |
|
|
Clane-Naas |
|
|
Kilcullen-Newbridge |
|
|
Waterford City Service |
|
|
Glen and Letterkenny |
|
|
Cockhill Buncrana to Derry |
|
|
The Letterkenny Town Service |
|
|
Glendalough and Dublin |
|
|
Wexford to Castlebridge |
|
|
2020 |
Carndonagh to Letterkenny service |
|
Galway to Dublin Airport service |
|
|
Athenry to Galway service |
|
|
Swanlinbar and Cavan and Enniskillen. |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
