asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will provide special travel permits for old age pensioners in place of the current practice of having to produce their pension books each time they use public transport.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Travel Permits for Pensioners.
22.
When the scheme of free travel was introduced the method of operation was given careful consideration. A full examination indicated that the use of the pension book rather than a travel permit had most to recommend it as a means of identifying those entitled to the free travel facility. Experience of the scheme since then has served to confirm that view and I do not, therefore, propose to make any change in the arrangements.
Conscious that the Minister may not have to avail of public transport, with the proliferation of State cars and the resultant traffic chaos——
(Interruptions.)
What has that got to do with it?
——may I inquire from him whether he fully appreciates the frustration and the inconvenience suffered by pensioners who must produce bulky pension books on every occasion on which they use public transport, and conscious that we live in a computer, package age it should not be beyond the capacity and imagination of his Department to produce elementary and verifiable travel permits for pensioners having regard to the possible loss of such pension books and the perpetual production of these large books on every occasion on which they use public transport?
The experience has been that this is the most satisfactory system. It has many advantages as compared with the issue of travel permits and I think it is the best system.
Would the Minister review the situation?
I am prepared to review it if any substantial arguments against it are produced.
Has the Minister any idea of the number of pension books that have been lost since the introduction of this scheme? This might help him in his decision.
I have no reason to believe that there has been any significant increase in the number of pension books lost.