THE DEPARTMENT OF Transport’s budget has come in for heavy criticism from opposition politicians and commuter groups, who say it will encourage people to drive rather than use public transport. 

The recent announcement that public transport fees will be increased by an average of 15% in January, coupled with the extension of excise cuts on fuels, shows the government is “going in the wrong direction,” according to Jason Cullen, chairperson of the Dublin Commuter Coalition.

“People need affordable, reliable and frequent public transport,” he said.

“Unfortunately this budget will provide none of those things and push commuters back into private cars as the cost of living catches up with them.”

Labour’s transport spokesperson, Ciarán Ahern, said public transport users would be feeling “let down” by Budget 2027, which was announced on Tuesday.

Ahern said that the government’s interventions to reduce fuel costs are necessary at a time when prices are soaring, but added that commuters using public transport “have every right to ask why they don’t deserve similar supports”.

“This is a cohort who are helping us to reduce congestion on our roads, reduce our emissions and, ultimately, reduce costs on taxpayers in the long-run. Why are public transport users being punished for doing the right thing?” he asked.

He said the government’s “inaction” on fare increases will disproportionately impact people on lower incomes “at a time when they’re going out of its way to spend money to protect hauliers and those who can afford to drive”. 

Ahern called it an “utterly regressive step” and said it was a sign of the government’s “short-termism”. 

Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman also criticised the approach to encouraging cycling and walking, said it was “essentially gutting active travel by not providing any increases”

Ahern said that by keeping the budget for walking and cycling infrastructure unchanged, “this effectively amounts to a cut in funding” because of the effects of inflation. 

He noted that the coalition parties have “made a big play” about changing the income tax brackets in an effort to put more money in people’s pockets but said that for public transport users, “the income tax cuts that government have announced are a work of fiction” once transport fares go up in January. 

Speaking after the announcement of the budget on Tuesday, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said that the fare increases were necessary.

Without them, he said, the department would not be able to fund the expansion of public transport services and the development of new ones.

“We’ve got to pay for those additional services,” he said.

He said the increase in fares will mean that the department “can roll out a significant number of new services this year”.

“That’s what customers are looking for, more reliable services, more frequent services and new services too.”

Asked if there would be another increase in public transport fares next year, O’Brien said the National Transport Authority would carry out its normal annual review but he refused to speculate about further increases going into 2028.

He said the government was aware of “the affordability issue” but that Ireland compares “very favourably” when seen alongside “comparable countries”.