Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has considered allowing parents of disabled children, issued with a companion pass, to make round trips with the return or outgoing journey being without the travel pass holder; the estimated cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43269/06]

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 56: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress on removing the remaining travel restrictions on free travel pass holders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43268/06]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress made in discussions with the EU Commission regarding the possibility of providing free travel passes to Irish pensioners resident abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43140/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 56 and 71 together.

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.

The scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These services are provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators.

The free travel scheme applies to travel within the State and point to point cross- border journeys between here and Northern Ireland. In line with the Government objective to put in place an all Ireland free travel scheme for pensioners resident in all parts of this island, I am pleased that early 2007 will see the start of the introduction of all Ireland Free Travel which will allow Irish pensioners to travel throughout Northern Ireland free of charge while Northern pensioners will be able to do likewise here.

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 only to Irish born people living abroad as to do so would be contrary to European legislation which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of nationality. In addition, legal advice also indicates that to extend the free travel scheme to people in receipt of Irish pensions who live outside the State would also be discriminatory under EU law.

However, I am determined to explore all options and I have raised the issue in meetings with the Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, and officials from my Department met with European Commission officials on a number of occasions in an effort to clarify the legal issues involved. I am keeping this issue under close review and contacts with the European Commission are ongoing.

All peak time access restrictions associated with the free travel scheme were removed with effect from 25th September 2006. The lifting of all travel restrictions at peak times benefits many people, particularly older people and those with disabilities, who are now able to travel in the main cities, and surrounding areas, on public transport services at times that best suit their needs. The ending of these restrictions removed the need for people to apply for special passes to travel during what were restricted times.

The free travel companion pass entitles the pass holder to have any one person, aged 16 years or over, to accompany him/her free of charge when travelling. Such companion passes are available to persons who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. Those eligible for a companion pass include people who are receiving full time care and attention from someone who is in receipt of a carer's allowance.

Under existing arrangements, since 1998 customers aged 75 years or over who advise the Department that they are medically unfit to travel alone receive a companion free travel pass. At present those who are aged between 66 and 74 who are medically assessed as unfit to travel alone are not entitled to a companion pass unless they had been in receipt of a disability type payment prior to reaching age 66. In the recent Budget, I announced the removal of this requirement. From March 2007 all those aged over 66 will be eligible for a companion pass if they are certified as being medically unfit to travel alone.

The main objective of the free travel scheme is to encourage older people and people with disabilities to remain independent and active in the community, thereby reducing the need for institutional care. The purpose of allowing pass holders to be accompanied while travelling is to further facilitate this mobility. Extension of the companion pass in the manner proposed would not be in keeping with this objective.