Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he intends to implement measures to enable pensioners to access free travel on a whole island basis; and the discussions he has held with his Northern and British counterparts on this issue [23199/04]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Under the existing free travel scheme, pass holders who reside in the Republic of Ireland can travel free within the South. Similarly, people who live in Northern Ireland who hold a concessionary travel pass can travel free within the North.

Under the special cross-Border arrangements, in place since 1995, both southern and northern pass holders can undertake cross-Border journeys free of charge.

The introduction of free travel on an all-Ireland basis would enhance the existing arrangements by enabling southern pass holders to make free onward journeys within the North. Similarly, Northern Ireland pass holders would be able to make internal journeys within the South free of charge.

There are a number of technical and financial issues to be resolved in order to implement an enhanced all-Ireland free travel system on these lines. These issues will require co-operation between my Department and the Department for Regional Development in Northern Ireland as well as the participation of the relevant northern and southern transport operator companies.

My predecessor, Deputy Coughlan, met the Minister of State at the Department for Regional Development in Northern Ireland last month to discuss enhancements to the cross-Border free travel scheme and to explore the potential for co-operation between our Departments. The discussions addressed options for co-funding the scheme and certain technical issues. I hope to be in a position to make further progress on this matter at an early date.