Yeah because that's the same alright...free travel to see relatives, doctors, social outings, sporting events, seeing friends, shops, encouraging numerous social interactions in different locations is the same as paying for a golf membership......
Then why not pay golf club memberships for everyone over 66? It's good for health and sociability too.
The issue is whether the income of over 66s prohibits them from using public transport and enjoying the benefits it brings. I would argue that it increasingly doesn't.
Sorry for your loss Sue Ellen. I also lost a close relative due to Covid.@Purple @T McGibney
I don't usually rise to the bait on these type of threads but I find your views and comments to be horrible and extremely upsetting.
My beloved and beautiful Mother was one of the old age pensioners who died of Covid in hospital where she was receiving treatment for cancer. She did not need to lose weight and neither she, nor we, could do more to protect her unfortunately.
Kindly stop and think in future about who you are offending before you post.
My parents would be doing all that stuff with or without free travel.Yeah because that's the same alright...free travel to see relatives, doctors, social outings, sporting events, seeing friends, shops, encouraging numerous social interactions in different locations is the same as paying for a golf membership......
One of the last times I travelled on a train there was what was a drug addict who I'd seen get on with a free travel card hassling a couple girls near him - the poor lad must have been on disability. From what I understand this is a recurring type of problem on Irish trains.Access to transport is one of the major social determinants of health. Free travel is in fact a public health intervention that benefits both the individual and society in general.
My parents would be doing all that stuff with or without free travel.
One of the last times I travelled on a train there was what was a drug addict who I'd seen get on with a free travel card hassling a couple girls near him - the poor lad must have been on disability. From what I understand this is a recurring type of problem on Irish trains.
That didn't seem to benefit society too much, or help anyone's health.
Or these free travel guys (or do you really think they spent 40 euro each to travel) from https://www.irishrail.ie/Admin/getm...ae1-8bb4ab810504/IE_FOI_420-Response-Pack.pdf
Hi, I'm on the Cork-Heuston service - just left cork 2.25. Two junkies just got on - one wearing no top - IR employees on platform did not seem to think this was a problem, along with the fact that they are obviously and loudly heavily medicated. They are currently doing lines of coke off the table and one is in in the toilets cooking gear by the sound of it. Your train steward just went thru - she did mention to one of the guys that he might want to put some clothes on - no masks as well obvs. Could you let me know what your policy on doing coke, cooking heroin and being naked on an intercity service in the middle of a pandemic is? Thanks
So pensioners on travel passes are drug addicts???? That's not what we talking about here. If you want to discuss why these guys have passes, then discuss why they moved clinics and centres out of city centres to the suburbs. And then had to give travel passes. Nothing to do with free travel for oaps.
On the broader point of entitlement I feel appalled at how disenfranchised young people are and how much damage my generation and my parents generation has done to their future in order to protect ourselves from the consequences of our own stupidity and greed.
Where did you get that idea from?Good for them. So we devise social and tax policy around what your parents would do?
I don’t. I am not in favour of rich people getting welfare.Not sure why people resent free travel.
Yep, and they should continue to get it.There are plenty of pensioners for whom it does make a big difference.
The same applies to most taxes. There are plenty of families with good incomes paying high rents or mortgage costs (to live in the areas they grew up in and that are near family and friends) and have childcare costs that are left with far less than people in social housing or others who are living on modest pensions in the same area who pay very little tax but have higher discretionary income.Sure we can come up with snazzy means test that will be abused like all the others. And it will lead to genuine hardship for others because they don't meet some arbitory cut off point.
Good question.To save how much money????
I find it very sad.I think this is really rather sad.
I live in Dublin, where public transport infrastructure is probably most developed. My commute is 10.5km across the city..No we shouldn’t. In fact, we should make all public transport free for everyone with a view to encouraging people out of their cars.
I (and I suspect you too) face zero hardship from using public transport.No we shouldn’t. In fact, we should make all public transport free for everyone with a view to encouraging people out of their cars.
Just in relation to cost - you can book a return to Cork from Dublin for €43 in a couple of weeks time. People always seem to pick the last minute most expensive ticket option when making arguments about the cost of train travel, doesn't seem to work the same way for flights.My parents have made great use of the free travel - though less so in recent years - they believe it or not are not drug addicts.
There's around 1m free travel cards with around 600,000 for OAPs so it's a broader issue.
There's two main problems with free travel
* while mainly fully deserving people use it, the system in general is why Irish trains are well-known for anti-social behaviour. (Not from OAPs - obviously).
* Irish rail are in danger of having so many free travel users that they will hike prices beyond reasonable levels since those passengers simply aren't price sensitive. 80 euro returns on Dublin-Cork is the example I see of this.
Trains are my favourite means of transport - but not Irish trains.
Yep, a last minute return train from Hamburg to Stuttgart will cost around €200. If you book it weeks in advance it will cost around €30Just in relation to cost - you can book a return to Cork from Dublin for €43 in a couple of weeks time. People always seem to pick the last minute most expensive ticket option when making arguments about the cost of train travel, doesn't seem to work the same way for flights.
That might be fine for some people, but we're visiting someone in a hospice and booking weeks or months in advance simply isn't an option - at best it's a few days notice. Also it a 2.5 hour drive, I don't plan trips that short weeks and months in advance in any case, we just go when we can typically deciding a day or two ahead.Just in relation to cost - you can book a return to Cork from Dublin for €43 in a couple of weeks time. People always seem to pick the last minute most expensive ticket option when making arguments about the cost of train travel, doesn't seem to work the same way for flights.
I would think it's fine for most people, not some. You have a very specific reason for booking last minute.That might be fine for some people, but we're visiting someone in a hospice and booking weeks or months in advance simply isn't an option - at best it's a few days notice. Also it a 2.5 hour drive, I don't plan trips that short weeks and months in advance in any case, we just go when we can typically deciding a day or two ahead.
Last minute most expensive ticket option? It's the standard price that's placed on all trains, i.e. even if I book today for a trip next Saturday i.e. not tomorrow 8 days in the future it's the standard price for every ticket. Better if don't do for the flexible option, but we'd need that.
What can I say - we've looked at the train many times- we used to use it - we'd like to use it - but we can't justify the expense. (I was shocked to see how cheap Galway is in comparison)
Last minute usually isn't defined as booking over a week ahead for a routine train journey.I
I would think it's fine for most people, not some. You have a very specific reason for booking last minute.
In the grand scheme of things there are an awful lot more tax breaks/social welfare payments worthy of examination than the Free Travel Scheme for OAPs. The cost of means testing with an appeals process etc would make it all more complicated and costly to operate than the cost of the scheme. There is often a lot to be said for simplicity.
See that's the problem, people think that but it's untrue. Only a quarter of pensioners rely solely on social transfers for their income and one in eight have a weekly disposable income of €1000 or more.For the vast majority of today's pensioners the State pension is the only income they have.