Transport Costs
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-18
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Louis O'Hara (SF), Galway East

It would be good if changes could be considered. A related issue I wish to raise is the significant difference that commuters in Galway are paying for rail fares compared to other parts of the State, particularly Dublin. I had a constituent in touch with me highlighting that rail passengers between Athenry and Galway city pay €5.10 each way for a 20-minute train journey. At the same time, a commuter travelling between Clonsilla to Connolly Station in Dublin, a journey of roughly 30 minutes, can travel for approximately €2.60 each way. Athenry to Galway is a commuter route. There is clearly an unfairness in passengers on those trains having to pay significantly more - double what a commuter in Dublin could expect to pay. At a time when the Government is trying to encourage and promote the use of public transport, why are commuters in Galway paying twice what commuters in Dublin could expect to pay for their rail fares, especially given that public transport is much more limited in the west? Will the Minister of State review this difference in fares and ensure that commuters in Galway are treated fairly when it comes to the cost of public transport?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-18