I presume the Deputy is referring to the free schemes administered by my Department, namely, free travel, free electricity allowance, free natural gas allowance, free telephone rental allowance and free television licence. Free travel is available to all persons in the State aged 66 years or over and also to certain disabled people under the age of 66. The other free schemes are available to people, usually aged 66 or over, who are in receipt of a welfare type payment and who are either living alone or who otherwise satisfy the living alone condition. In addition, widows between the age of 60 and 65 whose late husbands had entitlement to the free schemes retain that entitlement notwithstanding their age.
A person who retires on superannuation may, depending on the level of their pension, be entitled to receive an old age (non-contributory) pension from my Department even at a reduced rate. If they are so entitled and can satisfy the living alone condition, they will qualify for the free schemes referred to above. Extending the free schemes to categories who do not qualify under the current conditions would have financial implications and could only be considered in the light of available resources.