Vol. 492 No. 3
65 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will introduce a procedure whereby Irish citizens who have pensions in the United Kingdom could qualify for free travel if they return on an extended visit to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13908/98]
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in Ireland aged 66 years or over, and also to certain people with disabilities under that age who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. The scheme provides free travel, primarily at off-peak periods, to eligible people on the main public and private transport services. At the end of last January, about 505,000 people qualified for free travel at an annual cost of £33 million.
The scheme was extended in 1995 to cover cross-Border travel only, between Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is available to passholders in Ireland, their spouses or companions in the case of people holding companion passes, and to Northern Ireland concession travel passholders. The scheme does not apply to either sea or air routes between this country and Great Britain.
The free travel scheme, as in the case of other social welfare schemes in Ireland, is available to all eligible persons who are resident in Ireland, irrespective of nationality. The possibility of extending the free travel scheme to Irish citizens who are not residents would involve additional costs which could only be considered in a budgetary context. There are also likely to be implications for other EU nationals which would have to be examined.
