Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has satisfied himself that the national travel card is an acceptable means of identification across all transport modes here. [17637/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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A free travel recipient is issued with a free travel pass for the purpose of enabling him/her to travel for free on most CIE public transport services, on the Luas and on a range of services offered by a large number of private operators in various parts of the country. A pensioner can also travel for free on cross border journeys between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In order to avail of the scheme, a passholder must present their pass to the transport operator in advance of making their journey. A passholder is also required to produce their free travel pass for inspection to an inspector with the transport operator or to an official of my Department if required. In addition, passholders resident in the major cities (Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway) must obtain an ancillary photopass from CIE in order to use the CIE Group services in those cities. This photopass is obtained free of charge by eligible passholders with the cost being met by my Department. The primary reason for photo identification is to prevent fraud of the system through free travel passes being transferred.

My Department is working towards the introduction of a more secure type of free travel card. The new travel card will introduce a number of improvements, including an improved registration process and new card technology which will bring improved customer service and better security features considerably reducing the potential for forging cards and fraudulent use. It is planned that the new cards will be introduced during 2007.

Currently, my Department is in consultation with the Northern Ireland authorities (the Department of Regional Development) with a view to implementing a scheme of All-Ireland Free Travel. There have also been a number of meetings at Ministerial level. This scheme will enable customers to travel, point to point, within the Republic of Ireland (for Northern customers) and within Northern Ireland (for customers from the Republic). Good progress is being made towards the development of the scheme and it is expected that an announcement will be made in the near future.