asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present arrangements available to people living in the Inishowen Peninsula who are the holders of free travel passes and who wish to travel by public transport through Derry to Dublin; if he will explain how such people can make arrangements with the Lough Swilly Bus Company and Ulsterbus; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Travel Passes.
2.
A free travel recipient who wishes to travel from the Inishowen Peninsula to Dublin via Derry may travel to Derry on the services provided by the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company on production of his free travel pass. On presentation of a special social welfare travel warrant at the Ulsterbus depot in Derry, a ticket will be issued to him in respect of the Derry to Monaghan town portion of his journey. The remainder of his journey may be completed on presentation of his free travel pass.
The special travel warrants for use on the Derry to Monaghan town portion of the journey are available on request from my Department's offices in Townsend Street, Dublin.
The question of making travel warrants available locally in these cases is being considered with Ulsterbus and CIE and I hope to be in a position to make suitable arrangements at an early date. The Deputy will be advised of the outcome in due course.
In view of the fact that these travel warrants are available to persons travelling from Donegal to Dublin, would the Minister not consider allowing these warrants to people from the Six Counties who wish to travel to Dublin?
That is a separate question. The question I have been asked is if the arrangements are available to people travelling from the Inishowen Peninsula.