Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 125: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to work to deliver free public transport for emigrant pensioners when they visit Ireland. [20318/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government continues to be fully committed to extending the free public transport scheme to Irish emigrants of pensionable age when visiting Ireland. The most recent development in this regard is that the Department's Irish Abroad Unit, working closely with our network of Missions in EU Capitals, has researched the type of provisions made in other EU countries to subsidise pensioners' travel, and the extent to which any such subsidies extend to all or some EU nationals.

The Unit has been able to confirm that certain, albeit limited, precedent exists for the provision of domestic free or subsidised travel schemes to all EU nationals of pensionable age in several EU Countries. Exceptionally, Hungary is alone amongst EU States in providing unrestricted free travel to all nationals of pensionable age, irrespective of their place of residence. The Department of Social and Family Affairs have been made aware of these findings, and are set to consider the information in greater depth, in coordination with this Department.