Vol. 441 No. 1
71 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to engage in discussions with the Northern Ireland authorities with a view to introducing free travel between both jurisdictions for people with free travel permits; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The free travel scheme operated by my Department is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years of age or over as well as certain incapacitated people in receipt of social welfare type payments. The scheme provides free travel at off-peak periods for eligible people on the main public and private transport services. Those include road, rail and ferry services provided by semi-State companies such as Bus Atha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Íarnród Éireann, as well as services provided by private contractors.
In common with all the other free schemes operated by my Department, the free travel scheme is reviewed regularly in the context of introducing improvements as resources permit. Such reviews include consideration of reciprocal agreements with other administrations. In the case of Northern Ireland, there are significant differences between my Department's scheme and that operated by the responsible authorities in that jurisdiction. I am having the matter examined further in my Department to ascertain whether an acceptable basis for a recriprocal agreement can be reached.
