Free travel on all TFI services for children under 9 years of age welcomed in Waterford
Minister John Cummins (Right) and Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer TD
Waterford TD, Minister John Cummins has welcomed the announcement by Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer TD, that the TFI Child Leap Card, will mean free travel on all TFI services for children aged between 5 and 8.
The card, available through leapcard.ie, will expand free travel to almost quarter of a million children across Ireland, building upon existing free travel on public transport for children under 5 years of age. The measure was announced as part of the Budget 2025 package of measures.
Welcoming the launch, Minister Buttimer expressed delight in the fact the expansion of the scheme will support almost a quarter of a million more children and their families by providing access to free travel for under 9s.
"It also lays foundations for lifelong habits of sustainable travel," he said. "From an early age, children will become more familiar with using buses, trains, and trams as a natural part of daily life," he added. The Minister went on to comment: "This scheme represents a significant step towards a more fair and inclusive public transport system. As the NTA continues to roll out its National Fares Determination Strategy, this initiative builds on a series of measures designed to ensure that different passenger cohorts can benefit equally from our public transport offerings.”
Welcoming the announcement, Minister Cummins said: “As Minister Buttimer mentioned this scheme represents another step towards a more fair and inclusive public transport system for everyone."
On the day of the announcement he said: "An important part of today’s announcement is that it applies across all TFI services, including Local Link and services under Connecting Ireland; services that have been vital for so many rural communities."
"This step ensures that families across Waterford, whether in cities, towns, or villages, can access public transport offerings as part of daily life," said Minister Cummins. For more information and to apply for a child Leap Card visit leapcard.ie
