Vol. 423 No. 4
183 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by immobile and single senior citizens who require companions to travel with them while using their bus passes because the present requirements are that an applicant must be either in receipt of a blind pension or a disabled person's maintenance allowance.
Companion passes under the free travel scheme are available to persons in receipt of a blind pension from my Department or a disabled person's maintenance allowance from the health board. These persons retain the companion pass when they qualify for the old age pension on reaching age 66.
The companion pass was introduced to cater for people who would otherwise be unable to avail of free travel. In the case of disabled person's maintenance allowance, the pass is intended mainly for mentally handicapped persons. Any further extension of the companion pass would have financial implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
