John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there are plans to extend the free travel scheme here to include Irish pensioners living in the UK; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15639/07]

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the restrictions facing people with free travel passes who have disabilities, particularly near the border; and if he has plans to introduce all-Ireland free travel passes to people with disabilities. [15642/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 151 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 all-Ireland free travel scheme commenced on April 2nd. This scheme enables pensioners resident here and in Northern Ireland to travel free of charge on all eligible transport services on the island. The scheme extends the already existing cross-border free travel arrangements by allowing pensioners over the age of 66 and resident here to travel free of charge on all bus and rail services in Northern Ireland. Likewise, pensioners in Northern Ireland can travel free of charge on transport services in this State. Some 600,000 customers are in receipt of free travel in Ireland, of whom 430,000 are aged over 66 years. The balance of 170,000 free travel recipients are under the age of 66 and so do not qualify for the new scheme. The all-Ireland free travel scheme is based on the existence of criteria of entitlements to free travel North and South for pensioners over 66 and applies only to this category.

The extension of the scheme to an all Ireland free service for those people over age 66 represents a significant expansion in travel opportunities. I will continue to examine any opportunities to improve further and expand on what is a very comprehensive, seamless free travel scheme. Any such additional developments would have to be worked out in conjunction with the authorities in Northern Ireland.

The existing cross-border free travel scheme, introduced in July 1995, continues to apply to all free travel pass holders, to enable them make journeys from a point in Ireland to a destination in Northern Ireland. 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 Špidla 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.