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

I thank everybody who contributed to the debate. The Government's main line of defence was attack. We have been accused consistently by Government backbenchers of trying to scare those eligible for free travel, as if they had suddenly become scared last night when the motion was tabled. For months we have been receiving representations, not only from individuals but also from relevant organisations, including Age Action Ireland, the Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament and a plethora of local organisations representing the elderly from one end of the country to the other. All their fear is based on a decision by the Government to conduct a review of the scheme, which review is now coming to an end.

As my colleagues stated, the last review people saw was that of the medical card system. People are aware of the fiasco resulting from that. Naturally, if they are anxious about a review of the free travel scheme, they can hardly be blamed in view of what has happened.

I was prevailed upon by several of the Minister of State's backbench colleagues last night to withdraw my motion. I was told to do so because they had got last night a categoric assurance from the Government, specifically from the Tánaiste, that everything would be satisfactory, leaving aside the fact that we got categoric assurances that there would be no reduction in child benefit and no increase in registration fees, in addition to assurances that prescription charges would be abolished and that the changes implemented regarding the lone parent allowance a fortnight ago would not be introduced until we had a Scandinavian-type child care system in the country. All of these categoric assurances were equally valueless. On the basis of yet another categoric assurance, from the same bottomless pit of categoric assurances, we were supposed to withdraw our motion, which could affect over 1 million people in a country of this size.

If one considers what the Minister said and the speech made tonight by the Minister of State, one will see it is clear that the Government is not giving the required assurance in any case. What the Minister said last night was that the free travel pass is safe. The Minister of State more or less repeated that tonight. I accept that, if only because it is politically impossible for the Government to abolish the free travel pass in view of the kicking it got in the recent elections. Therefore, the travel pass is safe.

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What we sought from the Government was a commitment that the free travel scheme in its present form will not be restricted, reduced, diminished or eroded in any respect. Deputy Dooley mentioned the specific proposals that are under consideration, such as an extra charge or restricting free travel to certain hours or to certain modes of transport. We wanted specific commitments on those issues and we did not get them. In response to the Members who invited or entreated me to withdraw the motion, I probably would not have insisted on having a vote on the matter if I had received the categorical assurances I sought. Being an optimistic type of chap, I realise that if one gets enough categorical assurances, one of them will eventually be honoured.

The serious point is that we have received many representations about this, and we had a meeting with representatives of Age Action Ireland this evening. The Government's attitude and responses to this motion will ensure that people who are elderly and in the twilight of their lives, the ill and disabled, the blind and people for whom the free travel pass is their only link to the outside world will continue to suffer anxiety, distress and worry because the sword of Damocles still hangs over the free travel scheme. That is the reality and the way the Government is acting. I note what the Tánaiste said on her assumption of the leadership of the Labour Party, that she wanted to govern more with the heart and the head, rather than just with the head. This is a very peculiar way to go about it.

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