Vol. 516 No. 4
100 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will examine the free travel facility and allow individual travel cards for spouses of persons on free travel, for example, old age pensioners and invalidity pensioners in order that the spouses can travel alone if necessary; if this will be arranged; if there will be a significant cost involved; and if this will be considered for the next budget. [8434/00]
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over, and to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance and to carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance. It is also available to people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. The spouse or partner of the passholder may accompany the passholder free of charge when travelling.
As the Deputy is aware, a fundamental review of the free schemes of this Department is nearing completion and will be published shortly by the Policy Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, in the Trinity Studies in Public Policy series. The issue raised by the Deputy is examined in the review.
In anticipation of the review findings, I announced two specific measures in Budget 2000. There are the extension of the free schemes to all persons aged 75 years and over, regardless of their income and household composition and the extension of the free electricity allowance and free television licence to all carers in receipt of the carer's allowance and to carers who are caring for people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relatives allowance. Both of these measures will be implemented from October 2000 at an estimated full year cost of £6 million. I will consider further measures when I examine the final report in the context of future budgetary policy.
