BUS AND TRAIN fares are expected to be hiked, with full details to be announced by the National Transport Authority (NTA) at a press conference later this morning. 

Increases are likely to average at around 15%, but it’s expected some fares for children, young adults and students will also be reduced.

Speaking in the wake of last year’s Budget, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said he couldn’t rule out a future increase in fares, telling reporters: 

“I’m not writing anything off because what I want is to expand on the transport network.”

In recent answers to Dáil questions, the minister noted that in line with last year’s Budget the department had committed to initiatives like the 90-minute fare, free travel for all children up to the age of 9 “and reduction in fares for Young Adult Cardholders for those aged 19-25, as part of the NTA’s National Fares Strategy”. 

Significant reductions to transport fares were introduced as part of the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael/Greens government back in 2022. 

Answering a Dáil question before the summer break, the minister argued public transport fares “remain comparatively low in Ireland”.

Opposition parties called on the government to make public transport free in the weeks following the start of America’s war on Iran, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. 

Ciaran Ahern, Labour’s transport spokesman, criticised today’s planned increase, saying it was unwarranted in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. 

“Last week Government spent a further €400m on excise cuts for drivers – yet it won’t act to stop fare increases on commuters,” Ahern said. 

The planned increase, he said, was ”anti-worker and proves this Government’s failure to take any leadership on climate”.