The free travel scheme is generally available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over. It is also available to carers and to people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. The scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services within the State. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by semi-State companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as services provided by some 80 private transport operators.
The review of the free schemes, which was published by the Policy Institute, Trinity College Dublin in April last year, considered that the primary objective of the free travel scheme is to encourage older people and people with disabilities to remain independent and active within the community, thereby reducing the need for institutional care. Extending the scheme to cover travel within other EU states is clearly outside the scope and objective of the scheme.
At EU level, a report ‘Towards a Senior Euro Pass', was commissioned by the Social Affairs Directorate of the European Commission and published by Age Concern, England at the end of 1997. This report 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. However, I understand that further work on this issue has been suspended at EU level.