LAST UPDATE | 29 Oct

THERE WILL BE a €14 charge for some motorists going through Dublin’s Port Tunnel from 1 January, 2026. 

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) announced today that from the new year, tolls on the Dublin Port Tunnel, M50 motorway, and some national roads will increase.

Dublin Port Tunnel

In 2026, the charge to use the Port Tunnel during peak times in the morning will increase by a euro for the second year in a row.

This means going southbound between 6am and 10am during weekdays will now cost €14.

The peak northbound hours (4pm to 7pm) won’t be affected, and will remain at €12.

All vehicles driving through the tunnel during off-peak hours will be charged €3.50 – no change to what it is currently.

Dublin Port Tunnel tolls as of January 2026

M50

On the M50, there will be a 10 cent increase for all cars registered with tag or video, while buses, coaches and lighter goods vehicles will also see charges increase by 10 cent, registered or not.  

Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) exceeding 10,000kg with tag will see a 10 cent increase, while those with a video account will see a 20 cent increase.

M50 tolls as of January 2026

This means buses or coaches without an M50 account will be charged €4.90, while unregistered HGVs (over 10,000kg) will be charged €7.80.

National Roads

Eight national roads which are operated under a “Public Private Partnership” will also see some increases.

On six toll roads (M1, M7/M8 ,M8, N6, N18 Limerick Tunnel, and N25 Waterford) there is no increase for cars or motorcycles.

However, buses, coaches and HGVs will see a 10 cent increase.

Charges on the M3 and M4 will increase by 10 cent for cars, as well as buses, coaches and HGVs.

This means cars will soon be charged €1.80 on the M3 and €3.60 on the M4.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland says the hikes are in response to 2% inflation seen in the Consumer Price Index from August 2024 to August 2025.

Criticism

Sinn Féin has issued criticism of the increased tolls, pointing out that Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said in October las year such increases should be scrapped.

The party’s Transport spokesperson Pa Daly said the roads are a “necessity” and are used by many daily to bring children to school, to get to appointments, and to go to work.

“In a move that is surprising to no one, the Minister seems to have lost the courage of his convictions once he’s secured his place back on the government benches,” Daly said.

“Not only are last year’s increases not being scrapped, Minister O’Brien is in fact allowing for more increases to go ahead.”

He said in Sinn Féin’s alternative budget, the party had committed to deferring toll increases and said the government should do the same.

Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy, who is Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, said the increase is “wrong” and called for more transparency on what toll charges are used for.

“I want to know and see how any increase is used to maintain the roads. There needs to be a clear, direct link between increases on the M50 and Port Tunnel tolls and investment in those specific routes, not on other roads elsewhere.

“Otherwise, these increases look like just another excuse to tap more money out of motorists,” he said.

Murphy added that motorists are already facing the rising costs of tax, insurance, fuel, and now tolls. “The burden can’t always fall on the same people,” he said.