More than 600,000 people who avail of the free travel scheme on public transport will not be subject to peak-time restrictions from September 25th this year.
Minister for Social Affairs Séamus Brennan announced yesterday that the Government had decided to abolish all restrictions on free travel for eligible people.
Since the initiative was launched by former taoiseach Charles Haughey almost 40 years ago, holders of free travel passes using Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann have been restricted from travelling on Monday to Friday from 7am to 9am and from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. There were also restrictions on Friday evening travel from 4pm until 7pm within a 20-mile radius of Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
"We're removing these restrictions for good, strong social policy reasons," Mr Brennan said. "It will benefit tens of thousands of people who up to now have been severely curtailed in the times they have been allowed to travel in the main cities and surrounding areas on public transport.
"In a 21st-century progressive and enlightened Ireland, such restrictions are no longer acceptable. For example, the role of older people in society is changing, with people living longer and healthier lives. The lifting of these restrictions is designed to reflect that improved longevity and the fact that more people of retirement age choose to continue to work or make a valuable contribution to society."
The cost of the free travel scheme to the State is €58.3 million at present. Discussions are still taking place between the Government and CIÉ over how much the extension will cost. Mr Brennan said it was likely to cost about €2 million.
He said there was a possibility of greater congestion as a result of the expansion, but insisted that older people had as much right to travel on public transport as any other group.
"Older people shouldn't be asked to take a back seat. A person who is 65, 66 or 67 years of age should have the same entitlement to be on a bus as a 25-year-old," he said.
The free travel scheme is available to people aged 66 years of age who are permanently resident in the State and to carers in receipt of the carer's allowance. It is also available to people with disabilities and people in receipt of certain welfare payments.
Of the 600,000 people in receipt of the scheme, some 430,000 are aged over 66. Another 145,000 are in receipt of an invalidity or disability payment, while a further 25,000 are carers.
The ending of peak-time travel restrictions will remove the need for people to apply for special passes so they can attend hospital appointments, educational, rehabilitative or therapeutic courses at peak times. The department has issued such special passes, but this will cease when the restrictions are abolished on September 25th.