Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The estimated cost of extending the household benefits scheme and free travel to all widows and widowers, irrespective of their age, would be €45 million. We are obviously talking about widows and widowers under 66 because approximately 66,200 widows and widowers over 66 receive free travel. A total of approximately 12,900 recipients of the widow's-widower's non-contributory pension receive free travel. A range of proposals to extend the free schemes to other groups, including widows and widowers, have been made from time to time. One must constantly keep matters under review.

A large number of people already receive household benefits. A total of 285,000 people receive the electricity allowance, while a similar number of people receive the free television licence. A total of 297,000 people receive the telephone allowance, 24,000 people receive the gas allowance and 624,000 people receive free travel. There is obviously an overlap because the same people avail of the different schemes but these numbers are very significant. We will periodically examine how the household benefits scheme could be extended if such a policy decision is taken. We must make choices and try to focus them.

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