Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will remove the partner or spousal income from means testing for long-term social welfare payments such as disability allowance; the cost of such a measure; if the means test prevents younger people in receipt of such payments from purchasing their first home jointly with a partner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30257/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that the Deputy is concerned about the impact on entitlement to disability allowance where an existing single recipient marries or cohabits with a partner who is employed, particularly where the couple wish to take out a mortgage to purchase a property. In the case of all social assistance schemes, including disability allowance, account is taken, for means testing purposes, of the claimant's own means and, in the case of a couple, their joint means.

In assessing means, an initial amount of a spouse or partner's earnings, net of tax, PRSI, superannuation contributions and health insurance contributions, is disregarded. Any mortgage repayments which the claimant and/or the spouse or partner may be paying are not included in the calculation of the disregard.

In Budget 2006, I was pleased to be able to increase the level of the disregard, from €88.88 to €100 a week. This comes into effect from next week for the purposes of disability allowance. I also announced an increase in the spouse or partner's income threshold (gross) for entitlement to the full rate of qualified adult allowance increases from €88.88 to €100 a week. The upper income threshold for entitlement to a reduced rate of qualified adult allowance was increased by €20 per week, to €240 per week with effect from last January and this will further increase to €250 concurrently with the other improvements detailed above.

The purpose of both of these measures was to encourage the spouses or partners of social assistance recipients generally to take up employment. It is not possible, at this stage, to estimate the cost of disregarding all spousal income in the case of disability allowance or other social assistance schemes.

I am always prepared to consider changes to existing arrangements where these are for the benefit of recipients and financially sustainable within the resources available to me. Proposals involving additional expenditure must be considered in a budgetary context.

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will extend free travel to older Irish emigrants, at the very least to Irish pensioners living in the UK when they return here on holiday and in view of the fact that there is a common travel area between Ireland and the UK, which pre-dates the formation of the EU and that they are in receipt of an Irish pension and of the recent announcement that Irish persons abroad will receive the President's 100th birthday cheque; his views on whether there is no legal, moral or financial impediment to grant this concession to Irish emigrants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30286/06]

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 resident in the State who are in receipt of a social security invalidity or 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 in receipt of this payment for at least 12 months, are also eligible for free travel.

There have been a number of requests and enquiries in relation to the extension of entitlement to free travel in Ireland to Irish born people living outside Ireland, or to those in receipt of pensions from my Department, particularly in the UK when they return to Ireland for a visit. I have been advised that it would not be possible to extend entitlement to free travel simply to Irish born people living abroad as to do so would be contrary to European legislation which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of nationality.

I have raised the issue with the European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs. In addition, officials from my Department have met with European Commission officials on two occasions in an effort to clarify the legal issues involved. I am keeping this issue under review and contacts with the European Commission are ongoing.

In relation to the centenarian's bounty, the Government has approved in principle the extension of the scheme for the payment of the centenarians' bounty to any Irish citizen who was born in the island of Ireland, regardless of where he or she may currently reside. Up to now the bounty, which currently amounts to €2,500, was payable only to centenarians living in the State. The bounty is a discretionary grant and not a service or scheme and accordingly it does not come within the scope of the EU Treaty. In this way, it differs from the proposed extension of the free travel scheme.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 241: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if people can undertake a course (details supplied) of part-time study and continue signing on for credits or unemployment payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30287/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Social Welfare legislation provides that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to an unemployment payment or to sign for credits. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions on an on-going basis is not entitled to an unemployment payment or credits. Persons who participate in part-time courses of education may retain their unemployment payment provided the conditions for receipt of the unemployment payment are fulfilled and they demonstrate that their participation does not restrict their availability for work.