asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that persons residing at a certain home for aged people in Dublin (details supplied) are deprived of the concession for free travel during certain periods each week owing to their pension books being taken in for checking; and if in order to remedy this position he will have some type of identification pass issued to the persons concerned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Travel Scheme.
10.
I am not aware of any circumstances in which it should be necessary for pension books to be taken in for checking for periods of each week as stated by the Deputy. In normal circumstances the need for my Department to recall a pension order book for any purpose occurs only in relatively few cases and infrequently. The pension order books of pensioners resident in institutions should be readily available to any pensioner capable of undertaking and wishing to undertake a journey covered by the free travel scheme.
As I intimated in reply to a somewhat similar question on 30 Deire Fómhair last the use of the pension order book instead of a travel pass or permit as a means of identifying those entitled to the free travel facility was decided upon after full and careful consideration. I do not propose therefore to make any change in the arrangements.
Arising from the specific complaint made to the Minister and in view of the fact that this matter has been raised already in this House, I should like to ask him if he would be prepared to reconsider his attitude and have small, simple travel warrants issued to pensioners, instead of the cumbersomeness and frustration and general inconvenience of obliging pensioners to carry around with them large bulky pension books on every occasion they avail of public transport? I have met pensioners who complained bitterly to me about this. Could the Minister reconsider it?
They are not large bulky pension books.
I am afraid the Minister does not carry one around in his pocket.
Would the Minister consider issuing a small plastic card?
There are objections to that.
Because of the fact that when the pensioner died there would be too much trouble getting it back.
There are more objections to it than that.
These pension books are valuable and there is always the risk of their being lost if the pensioners have to travel around with them all the time.
We might as well be talking to the wall.