Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

I thank the Minister for his reply and for his history lesson on free travel. I do not know why Ministers do not exclude that part of their answers. Obviously, members of the Opposition know just as much about free travel as the Department's officials. I do not know why it has to be read into the record every time.

I am asking the Minister to take his courage in his hands. Instead of running to Europe seeking a licence every time he wants to do something, he should do it and let Europe respond if it sees fit. If the Minister had done this in the first place, we would already have the free travel scheme for the Irish abroad.

In the response to Proinsias De Rossa, the Court of Justice's ruling effectively said that Irish nationals cannot be discriminated against on the basis that because someone does not have an Irish pension, one cannot get free travel when they come home to Ireland, whereas the Minister argues that he will only grant free travel to those with a pension. I do not know why the Minister interprets it differently, but the European Commission said that were the Government to introduce free travel for all Irish citizens of a certain age living abroad, that would be in order. The Court of Justice ruling quoted in the reply to Proinsias De Rossa fortified that argument.

Rather than going over and back to the EU and leaving files piled high without any decision or effective action being taken, the Minister should now introduce a free travel scheme for all Irish citizens whether they live in Ireland or elsewhere. I do not think he will have any difficulty from the Commission for doing so.

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