Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 5

Written Answers. - Proposed Legislation.

Rory O'Hanlon

Question:

124 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Social Welfare what plans, if any, he has to use the Social Welfare Bill to end the discrimination against contributory blind old-age pensioners who are denied the companion travel pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3282/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The free travel companion pass, which was introduced in 1990, is aimed primarily at incapacitated people who are unable to travel alone and who would otherwise be unable to benefit under the free travel scheme. It is a special version of the standard travel pass and enables a companion to travel free with the pass-holder.

Free travel companion passes are available to people in receipt of a blind person's pension from my Department and to certain other people who are currently, or who were previously, in receipt of a disabled person's maintenance allowance from the health boards. Companion passes are also available to people in receipt of invalidity pension who are wheelchair-bound.

Recipients of old age (contributory) pension who are blind would normally not have qualified for the blind person's pension during their working lives due to the application of the means test. The current personal rate of old age (contributory) pension is £72.80 a week as compared to £62.50 a week in respect of blind person's pension. The question of extending the free travel companion pass to include people getting old age (contributory) pension who are also blind will be kept under review in the light of the availability of resources for further improvements to the scheme.

I should mention that the free travel scheme is a non-statutory scheme and, therefore, does not come within the scope of the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill.