Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

I wish to share time with Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett, Stephen Donnelly, Mick Wallace and Finian McGrath.

When we heard that there was to be a review of the travel pass scheme for those over 66 years, we, Age Action Ireland and many organisations representing our elderly, went quite rightly on the offensive. We have seen the record of the Government on other services which have been cut. For example, five years ago, the Labour Party was with Age Action to support thousands of elderly people protesting against the medical card cut for the over-70s. However, the party has introduced in the past three years a cut by stealth whereby a single person's maximum gross income in respect of medical card eligibility is €500. We find many old-age pensioners on a State pension and a small private work pension are now having their over-70s medical card cut off by stealth where they are €10, €20 or €30 over the threshold. Age Action and other groups have quite rightly gone on the offensive.

Last night, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, said she wanted to say loudly and clearly that the Government has protected the free travel scheme for beneficiaries in all of its budgets to date and will continue to do so. I want some definite responses for those in receipt of the travel pass and those who will be in receipt of it in future to confirm that there will be no restrictions on the hours during which the pass may be used, no subscription charges, no restriction to a particular mode of transport and that the travel pass will continue as is. I want to hear that from the Government tonight so that Age Action and our elderly can feel confident they will have the travel pass into the future.

See this speech in context