Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 1152: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who is in receipt of disability allowance and who requires frequent hospital stays cannot use their travel pass to visit their spouse while they are in hospital; if this is a loophole in the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43966/06]

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.

Spouses of travel pass holders may travel on the same journey with their partner at no cost to them. In addition, 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.

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 facilitate further this mobility. The extension of the scheme to allow the pass holder's companion to travel alone would not be in keeping with this objective.