David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 619: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 49 of 1 March 2007, the existing cross-Border free travel scheme introduced in July 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10584/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The scheme I recently announced will extend the existing arrangements by allowing pensioners over the age of 66 and resident here to travel free of charge on all bus and rail services throughout Northern Ireland. Likewise, pensioners in Northern Ireland will travel free of charge on transport services in this State. The extended scheme applies only to pensioners entitled to free travel. The existing scheme will continue to apply as before to others covered by the present arrangements.

The existing cross-Border free travel scheme, introduced in July 1995, applies to all free travel pass holders and their spouses, partners and companions. This scheme extended the domestic free travel entitlement so that free travel pass holders resident in Ireland could undertake a cross-Border journey from a point of departure in one jurisdiction to a destination in the other jurisdiction free of charge. Some 220,000 cross-Border journeys are undertaken each year.