The Government will know by the end of March whether it is feasible to offer free travel in the State to Irish emigrant pensioners in Britain.
The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mr Brennan, has asked Department officials to investigate such a provision for British-based Irish pensioners visiting the Republic.
After that, a decision would be based on what funds were available and if the cost would have to be incorporated into next year's Budget.
The Labour Party chief whip, Mr Emmet Stagg, has campaigned for free travel for to Irish emigrants in Britain, and he welcomed the move by the Minister to examine the issue.
"Free travel is viewed, not for its monetary value, but for the degree of recognition it affords the recipients," he said.
Mr Stagg was part of a Labour Party delegation that recently visited Irish communities in Britain. Free travel and access to RTÉ, TG4 and TV3 were two of the main issues repeatedly raised at meetings.
Concern has been expressed that under EU law, if the provision was offered to Irish pensioners in Britain, it would have to apply to all EU pensioners visiting the State, with estimates for this varying from €10 million to €30 million, based on current use in the Republic of free travel. It cost the Exchequer €49,820,000 in 2003.
However, the Department acknowledges that only a fraction of pensioners would be travelling in the State at any one time, and possibly only for a week or fortnight.
