Vol. 461 No. 4
181 Mr. D. McDowell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the means, if any, by which Dublin Bus is compensated for transporting old age pensioners free of charge at certain times of the day; and the additional cost, if any, of extending this service to all hours of the day. [3168/96]
It is estimated that my Department will pay CIE a total of £29.43 million this year for the provision of free travel services to qualified persons. A breakdown of that amount between the individual transport companies, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and Bus Átha Cliath, is not available to my Department and would be a matter for CIE itself.
The time restrictions which apply to the scheme mean that free travel is not available on Bus Átha Cliath and Bus Éireann city bus services in Dublin, Cork and Limerick from 7.00 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. and from 4.30 p.m. until 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday or on Bus Éireann long-distance buses from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Fridays for up to 20 miles out from Dublin, Cork or Limerick. Time restrictions, however, do not apply in the case of mentally-handicapped people, people attending long-term rehabilitation courses and certain other disabled or blind persons.
