Public Transport and Fare Increases: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-29
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Maurice Quinlivan (SF), Limerick City

Increasing public transport fares during a cost-of-living crisis is wrong. It is short-sighted, unfair and hits those least able to afford it hardest, namely, young people, students, pensioners, workers and families already struggling to make ends meet. People are being asked to pay more for a service that is already falling short. Simply put, it is higher fares for an incomplete service. The National Transport Authority, NTA, has noted that a 10% fare increase results in a 3% decline in passenger numbers. Why are we making public transport more expensive when we should be encouraging more people to use it? It shows once again how out of touch this Government is.
In Limerick, the problems are clear. Take the Condell Road, for example. This is a populated area with infrastructure where people would use a bus service if they had one, but there is no service there. I have raised this in the Dáil on a number of occasions. I again call on the Minister to personally intervene to ensure a bus service is provided on the Condell Road. We have bus lanes and bus stops but we have no buses. BusConnects has been delayed until 2028 at the earliest. We are being told we will not get a bus service until 2028 at the earliest. That is not acceptable. It is not fair on the residents and the Minister needs to intervene. Deputy Sheehan has raised the issue of a bus service for the Condell Road a number of times as well.
Almost a decade after BusConnects was announced, the plan remains incomplete and timelines continue to slip. As I said, Limerick BusConnects is delayed until at least 2028, yet fares are going up. We are giving the Government an opportunity to change course, reverse these fare increases, invest in a transport system that works, deliver the routes and services communities have been waiting for and put workers, students, pensioners and families first. Do not ask people to pay more for less. Cancel these plans and start delivering the affordable, reliable public transport that Limerick and the rest of the country deserve.

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Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-29