Vol. 491 No. 3
364 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if a travel pass and companion pass will be made available to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8 in view of the circumstances involved. [11810/98]
The free travel scheme operated by my Department is available to people aged 66 years or over, as well as certain people with disabilities in receipt of specified social welfare type payments. The scheme does not generally cater for children aged under 16 years except in the case of visually impaired children.
Under the existing qualifying conditions of the free travel scheme, it is not possible to grant a free travel companion pass to the person concerned. The qualifying conditions for the scheme are kept under review but any further extension of the scheme which would have cost implications and would have to be examined in a budgetary context. Given the circumstances involved, the Eastern Health Board may be in a position to offer assistance with regard to the health issues raised in this particular case.
365 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 who was refused the back to work allowance in view of the fact he is employed in a semi-State company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11818/98]
The objective of the back to work allowance scheme is to provide a financial incentive to long-term unemployed people to return to work. The scheme has a limited number of places and is targeted at people who need an additional financial incentive to return to the workforce. Information on the scheme is widely available in local offices of the Department, centres for the unemployed and at other agencies dealing with unemployed people, and the Department's job facilitators are actively involved in promoting the scheme. It is a requirement of the scheme that an applicant must apply prior to taking up employment. The person concerned signed off the live register in November 1997 and there is no trace of an application for the back to work allowance having been lodged with the Department.
