Vol. 506 No. 6
84 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will introduce a scheme whereby pensioners can travel free on scheduled services at peak hour where they can show an appointment for hospital or other evidence that they require to travel at peak hour. [16143/99]
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, as well as to certain people with disabilities under that age who are in receipt of certain social welfare type payments. It is also available to carers in receipt of carer's allowance and from last April, free travel is available to carers of people in receipt of a constant attendance allowance or prescribed relatives allowance.
The scheme provides free travel, primarily at off-peak periods, to eligible people on the main public and private transport services. The full year cost of the free travel scheme for 1999 is approximately £34.5 million and at the end of March 1999, over 537,000 free travel passes had been issued.
Time restrictions have been a feature of the free travel scheme since its inception, in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. They do not, however, apply in the case of mentally-handicapped people, people attending long-term rehabilitation courses or certain work experience programmes and certain other disabled or blind people. These people are issued with an unrestricted free travel pass which enables them to travel during the normally restricted travel times.
The central issue in regard to time restrictions relates to capacity constraints. Time restrictions have been put in place because the transport companies concerned are under severe pressure from commuters travelling to and from work and school in the morning and evening. There are no peak time travel restrictions on DART or suburban rail services provided by CIE and private transport operators in other parts of the country.
85 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason for the disallowance of the claim for maternity benefit for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17; and if he will make a statement on the reason for this ruling. [16144/99]
To qualify for maternity benefit a person must be entitled to leave under the Maternity Protection Act, 1994 or be self-employed and must satisfy certain PRSI conditions.
The person concerned applied for maternity benefit on 24 February 1999. Based on the evidence available to the Department it appears that she is not in employment or entitled to maternity leave covered by the Maternity Protection Act, 1994. Her application was, accordingly, refused.
She was notified of this decision and the reasons for it on 28 April 1999. It is understood that the person concerned is undertaking an unfair dismissal case against her former employer. Such disputes are processed under procedures established under the Unfair Dismissals Act, 1977. If her action in this regard is successful, she should advise the Department and her entitlement to maternity benefit will be reviewed.
She is currently in receipt of disability benefit at £80.10 per week and payment will continue as long as she satisfies the conditions for its receipt.
