Vol. 531 No. 3
32 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if any progress has been made on the introduction of a euro travel card for pensioners as recommended some years ago by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Affairs. [5644/01]
305 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the stage at which the issue of special or concessional air travel for social welfare recipients of the European Union is under consideration at EU level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5220/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 305 together.
The Deputy's report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Family, Community and Social Affairs in September 1999 is based on the report Towards a Senior Euro Pass which was com missioned by the Social Affairs Directorate of the European Commission and was undertaken and published by Age Concern, England at the end of 1997. It recommends that EU states should establish a senior euro pass card which would entitle older people to concessions on various services, including travel, cultural and social activities.
The role of my Department in matters relating to the senior euro pass is to submit observations in conjunction with other Departments and statutory and non-statutory bodies on any action taken to implement the proposals in this report in so far as they affect the business of the Department. The administration of the euro pass is outside the remit of my Department.
With regard to the Deputy's inquiry regarding concessions on air travel, I am not aware of any proposal at EU Commission level to extend special or concessional air travel to social welfare recipients of the European Union.
Does the Minister accept there have been three European reports and a recommendation by the European Commission going back to 1989 on the creation of an over 60s travel card which would be applicable throughout Europe? Does he further accept that if the same were in existence 500,000 Irish senior citizens would have the right of avail of travel and other concessions across the 15 member states of the European Union? Do I detect from the Minister that he is not supportive of the idea and that the report which I prepared on behalf of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Family, Community and Social Affairs has not been given active consideration or received support of any kind from him?
As I have stated on previous occasions, this is not necessarily an issue which should be directed at my Department. We cannot make concessions in regard to a card without doing so in an overall European context. Given that our concessionary travel is perhaps more beneficial than that in any other country in western Europe, obviously we have to bear in mind that the concessions we would give to their people coming here would not be the same as the concessions our people would get from them.
As I have said previously on Question Time it is an issue that would have to be dealt with at EU level. The Deputy will be pleased to hear our counterparts across the Border, the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, have recently announced that a free cross-Border travel scheme will be available to old-age pensioners in the North. We will sit down with our colleagues to ensure there will be free travel on both sides of the Border.
The Minister might have noted that was the first recommendation of my report. The concessions should be allowed to pensioners in each jurisdiction when they cross the Border. Will the Minister ensure that he follows the lead originally given by me, followed up by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland, by extending to Northern pensioners the concessions that apply here? Will he proceed further in the context of the two islands to consider pensioners in the UK, many of whom are of Irish decent and anxious to come to Ireland? May this lead to a Euro pass covering the entire Community? Will the Minister shake himself and do something at his end to give a lead in this regard?
As I said on previous occasions we cannot do anything in this regard except at EU level. Until the change was made by the Northern Authorities in relation to free travel, the benefits which Northern people enjoyed when they came here were paid for, by and large, by this side. We are delighted they have followed the lead given a number of years ago by a previous Government to provide free travel for old-age pensioners—
Deputy De Rossa in the Coalition Government.
—and cross-Border travel so that those crossing the Border could avail of the services.
The Minister should shake himself on this issue.
