asked the Minister for Social Welfare is he is aware that IRA veterans who are entitled to free travel carry a small folded card to establish their entitlement; and if he will make similar arrangements for old age pensioners and thus avoid the necessity of them having to produce their pension books to establish their entitlement to free travel.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Travel Facilities.
16.
The card referred to is only issued to an IRA veteran who is not in receipt of a social welfare type pension. The number involved is comparatively small. It is not proposed to alter the existing arrangements applicable in the case of old age pensioners.
Can the Minister explain why those people who are entitled to free travel can have a card while old age pensioners are compelled to produce their pension book? Does he not regard it as degrading that these people have to produce their pension book and also run the risk of losing their book, thereby being deprived of their pension until such time as a duplicate can be issued? What is the difficulty in issuing a card to old age pensioners seeing that it can be issued to those other people?
It is only in special cases.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that several of those IRA men who are entitled to free travel and have a card were requested when they attained the age of 70, to surrender their card and produce their pension books and that they have been allowed to continue using this card instead of the pension book?
If the Deputy puts down a question to that effect, I shall have the reply for him.