Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on extending the right to free travel for Irish pensioners living in the UK when these pensioners visit here; if discussions are under way with his UK counterpart or with the office of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer on the introduction of this measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8911/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind person's pension.

People living in the state who are in receipt of a social security invalidity or similar disability payment from a country covered by EU regulations or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement and who have been on this payment for at least 12 months are also eligible for free travel.

There have been a number of requests and inquiries with regard to the extension of entitlement to free travel to Irish-born people living outside Ireland or to those in receipt of pensions from my Department, from the UK in particular. The legal advice available to me on this issue is that such proposals would be contrary to the EC treaties which prohibit discrimination on the grounds of nationality. However, I am continuing to examine all aspects of a possible scheme.

Significant improvements have been made to the free schemes, including the free travel scheme, in recent budgets both in terms of the qualifying conditions and the coverage of the schemes. I will continue to review the operation of these schemes with a view to identifying the scope for further improvements as resources permit.