Noel Treacy (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

We have led Europe in this area over the years. Free travel is available to our senior citizens. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs is examining other opportunities to expand the scheme. There is a demand that there should be equity in the system on an all-island basis. If the scheme is expanded, all European citizens will have to be offered free travel in Ireland. However, the system is usually flexible to take account of a particular situation so that if somebody is seriously ill, he or she would get a concession. If a citizen has a problem in this regard, it could be addressed on an individual basis but it could not be addressed on a universal basis.

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