Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Unlike the Minister, I am not irredeemably wedded to the notion of universality, whereby people obtain benefits regardless of their circumstances. Nevertheless, the Minister will agree with me that the free travel scheme has been an outstanding success and played a huge role in combating social isolation. Recently, my attention was drawn to a heavyweight report produced by the Imperial College, London, which set out in some detail the health benefits of the free travel scheme operated in the United Kingdom. I will not go into the report in detail but merely refer to it in passing.

An article in The Sunday Business Post of 4 November stated: "The free travel scheme is likely to be means-tested for new pensioners in the budget in order to meet the demands of the troika, and the cost of universal payments is likely to be curtailed". The article further stated two elements were under consideration, first, that entitlement to free travel be means-tested along the lines of the means test applied to the medical card for those aged over 70 years; and, second, that there be a certain administrative charge, either in addition to or instead of means testing. I am not sure which is intended. Is either or both proposals under consideration?

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