Today’s hike in rail fares for thousands of passengers in the new Dublin Commuter Zone has been described as a retrograde step by Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore.
Deputy Whitmore, who is the party’s transport spokesperson, said:
“While I am in favour of the National Transport Authority’s move towards a simpler pricing structure, the new fare system introduced by Irish Rail today is something of a mixed bag for commuters.
“It will result in welcome fare reductions for passengers in towns like Wicklow, Drogheda and Kildare, while hitting commuters in Greystones, Kilcoole, Skerries, Balbriggan and Sallins/Naas with increases of up to 30 per cent.
“The NTA’s latest fares determination will place a significant financial burden on workers and students who need to commute to and from Dublin city on a regular basis.
“As we struggle to meet our climate action targets, disincentivising people from using public transport will only push them back into their cars. It is worth noting that transport accounted for 21.4 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gasses in 2023 and is the one sector where emissions are increasing.
“By failing to invest now in climate action measures – such as encouraging more people to switch to public transport – the government is putting Ireland at risk of paying billions in EU penalties if we fail to meet our legally binding targets by 2030.
“The NTA and Irish Rail must urgently review these new fare increases to ensure that commuters are not penalised for doing the right thing.”
April 28, 2025