Vol. 401 No. 1
27 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend to people in receipt of health board pensions the free schemes that are at present available to social welfare recipients, with particular reference to a person (details supplied) in Cork.
Free travel is available to all persons aged 66 years and over and to persons under that age who are blind or are in receipt of certain social security type payments. Entitlement under the other free schemes administered by my Department is confined to the elderly or permanently incapacitated who are receiving certain social security type payments and who are either living alone or only with excepted persons.
The person concerned is entitled to free travel and free fuel. Her health board pension is not a qualifying payment for the purposes of the other free schemes and she is, accordingly, not eligible for free electricity, free television licence and free telephone rental allowance.
Extension of the free schemes to include persons in receipt of occupational pensions such as a health board pension would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
