Vol. 553 No. 2
660 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if she will examine the free travel scheme and indicate it there are plans or recommendations to reduce age eligibility level to 65 years of age which is normal retiring age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13268/02]
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over. Those who do not qualify on age grounds are eligible for free travel if they are in receipt of payments under specified schemes such as the carer's allowance, invalidity pension, disability allowance and blind person's pension. Concessions are also made for some widows and widowers whose late spouse had been receiving free travel.
There appears to be little demand for a lowering of the qualifying age and, indeed, this did not figure as an issue in submissions received in connection with the review of the free schemes which was published in 2000. In the circumstances, there are no proposals at present to reduce the qualifying age.
