Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on whether in view of the recent announcement that the free travel scheme is being extended to travel within Northern Ireland, it is now a perfect time to introduce free travel to all Irish pensioners regardless of their country of residence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11908/07]

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, also receive a free travel pass.

The scheme 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. More recently, the European Commission has indicated that to extend the scheme to people in receipt of an Irish pension could also be considered discriminatory.

I have raised the issue with Commissioner Spidla 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 review.