Public Transport and Fare Increases: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-29
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Michael Cahill (FF), Kerry

I want to make a particular point about the impact of the proposed fare increases on people in my county. I recognise the significant investment the Government is making in public transport. In 2026, €940 million is being invested across the public transport network and that investment is badly needed. However, we need more capacity, more services and better connectivity.
As a backbench Government TD, my responsibility is also to bring the concerns of the people of Kerry into this Chamber. The messages I am receiving from people across County Kerry are very clear. They are worried about what these increases will mean for them. We have a very real cost-of-living crisis. The national average increase is approximately 15%, but people in Kerry are concerned that some fares could increase by significantly more than that, in some cases by over 30%. That matters in a rural county like Kerry.
We are not talking about people who have multiple public transport options outside their front door. We are talking about people travelling from rural communities to places like Dingle, Killorglin, Castleisland, Tralee, Killarney, Kenmare and other towns across the county for work, education, healthcare and essential services. For many people, public transport is not a lifestyle choice. It is how they get to work. It is how a student gets to college. It is how someone who does not drive gets into town. If the cost of that journey rises substantially, we have to ask what the consequences will be. Will people continue to use public transport or will some have no option but to get back into their cars, if they have a car?
That is not just an issue for those passengers. It affects congestion, our roads and our climate objectives as well. I have received correspondence from constituents in Dún Chaoin and elsewhere in Kerry making exactly this point. They are not asking for special treatment. They are asking that affordability is properly considered, particularly for people in rural areas who have fewer alternatives.
I also recognise the Government's response points to the additional services and capacity these fares will help provide. The commitment to 140 new and improved services is very important. The continued 50% discount for young adults and students, reductions in many child fares and the continuation of the free travel scheme are all very important.
My county did not receive any additional funding for additional Local Link services this year. That was very disappointing but I believe there is a very simple principle here. If we are asking people to pay more they need to see and feel the improvement in the services they receive. There are a number of services I would like to mention that are in the pipeline but the funding has not been forthcoming for Local Link in Kerry to provide them. They are: Beaufort to Whitefield and Killorglin; the Gap of Dunloe to Beaufort and Killarney; and my own parish of Glenbeigh to Dooks along to Cromane and on to Killorglin. A route was approved for Killarney to Rathmore and Gneevgullia and on to Mallow. It is already approved but has not been launched. I support the investment in public transport. I support expanding services. I am asking the Minister of State and the NTA to pay particular attention to the impact these increases will have on rural Kerry.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-29