Public Transport and Fare Increases: Motion [Private Members]
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-29
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Dessie Ellis (SF), Dublin North-West

The Government is expecting people to pay more for public transport at a time when those who depend on public transport are already struggling with ever-increasing household costs. The Government has proposed that from January 2027, adult public transport fares are set to increase by an average of 15%. In Dublin, the 90-minute Leap card fare will rise from €2 to €2.30. There are a number of economically vulnerable areas in my constituency of Dublin North-West. These price hikes will have a seriously negative impact on families in this cost-of-living crisis. Particularly now with the high cost of fuel, many of my constituents are becoming more dependent on public transport.
There has been an overhaul of the provision of public transport in my constituency, yet despite promises of better connectivity, there have been numerous complaints about the reliability of the new bus services. For example, in Dublin North-West, with the introduction of phase 7 of BusConnects, routes 23 and 24 have had reliability issues since their introduction. Common among the complaints are long delays in waiting for buses and multiple bus cancellations. A bus service is only useful if the bus arrives on time and with sufficient capacity. Unreliable services force people back into cars and taxis, undermining the Government's own objectives on congestion, emissions and public transport usage.
I, along with the community, have submitted proposals to the NTA to amend certain proposed new routes, particularly in terms of their accessibility. For many people, especially the elderly, public transport is a necessity and not a choice. As such, it should be accessible, dependable and affordable.
Extending the age requirement for free travel to 18 would have a societal benefit, allowing for greater opportunities for young people to attend school, extracurricular activities, jobs and social events regardless of household income. The Government should not allow these price hikes to go ahead. Instead, it should properly fund public transport, as well as address reliability and capacity issues.

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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