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

The Minister referred to the previous Government as having frozen the amount payable to the Department of Social Protection, which is true. However, under freedom of information regulations, the writer of the article in The Sunday Business Post had obtained a letter from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, to the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, which stated: "While the money paid by your Department to CIE does not cover the cost of providing free travel - €77 million - CIE is nonetheless willing to continue to provide free travel to seniors at the same price to the Department of Social Protection".

There has been some creative arithmetic in this instance. I presume that the €77 million to which the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, refers is based on an assumption that those who avail of free travel would pay full fares if the scheme relating to such travel was brought to an end. Obviously, that would not be the case. What the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is saying is that while CIE has indicated that €77 million does not cover the full cost of the service, the company remains willing to offer it for that amount. If a means test along the lines suggested was applied, a minority of those availing of free travel would no longer be eligible. CIE has indicated that it is not in receipt of the full amount, but I presume it will still be given the €77 million to which I refer. In that context, where will the savings be made?

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