Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Nov 1993

Vol. 435 No. 3

Written Answers. - Free Travel for Spouses.

Paul Bradford

Question:

40 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will change the regulations governing the use of free travel passes for spouses of free travel card holders to allow the spouse to travel alone in circumstances where the holder of the free travel pass is unable to travel due to medical difficulties.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

A free travel pass under my Department's scheme is available to every resident in the State over 66 years of age. A spouse under the age of 66 may travel free of charge in the company of the passholder. The general purpose of the free travel scheme is to encourage elderly people to remain active in the community.

If the passholder is unable to travel, it is not possible for a spouse under 66 years of age to use the free travel pass in his or her own right. To do so would involve significant additional expenditure in a scheme which already costs of the order of £30 million a year.

In 1990, I introduced the free travel companion pass which allows any person over the age of sixteen years to travel free with certain passholders. The companion pass was designed for the benefit of people who qualify for free travel but are unable to travel alone. Many people with disabilities, such as mental handicap, were entitled to free travel but gained very little benefit from it unless they had a fare-paying companion to accompany them. The companion pass was available initially to people in receipt of disabled person's maintenance allowance whom the health boards considered were unable to travel alone. The concession has since been extended to blind pensioners and to invalidity pensioners who are wheelchair bound.