Changes announced to public transport fares from 2027 while free travel and key discounts maintained

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is a State agency operating under the aegis of the Department of Transport. Established under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, the NTA is responsible for the regulation and oversight of public transport services, transport planning, and the allocation of Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding. The fare changes outlined in this announcement are being made in accordance with the NTA’s statutory responsibilities under the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008.
Public transport services in Ireland are supported through a combination of Government PSO funding and passenger fare revenue. In recent years, Government investment in public transport has increased significantly, enabling substantial improvements to services, major infrastructure investment and the expansion of the public transport network across the country. However, continued growth in passenger demand and the ongoing expansion of services mean that additional funding is required to sustain and further develop the network in the years ahead.
In 2026, the Transport for Ireland (TFI) network has already supported over 197 million passenger journeys, demonstrating the growing role public transport plays in connecting communities, supporting economic growth and enabling more sustainable travel choices.
Meeting this demand has required sustained investment in both services and infrastructure. This has been supported by record government investment in PSO services in recent years. In 2026 alone, €940 million has been invested across the public transport network, supporting service enhancements, increased capacity and improved connectivity. This marks a significant increase on investment levels compared to €525.50 million in 2022. While Government PSO funding continues to play a vital role, it funds only a portion of the cost of operating and expanding services.
While the NTA has worked to minimise the impact on passengers, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent cost-of-living crisis, PSO public transport fares have generally not increased for eight years in recognition of the significant challenges faced by households during this period. Since 2022, passengers have also benefited from measures including the 20% Cost of Living Fare Reduction and the introduction of the 50% Young Adult and Student Discount. Even following these changes, many fares will remain lower than they were in 2018, reflecting the significant fare supports introduced in recent years. The revised fare structure will help ensure that continued investment in a larger, more frequent, and better-connected public transport network can be sustained into the future.
Compared with many European public transport systems, Government funding accounts for a larger share of the cost of delivering PSO public transport services in Ireland, while passenger fares account for a smaller proportion of overall funding. The revised fare structure seeks to maintain an appropriate balance between taxpayer support and fare revenue, helping to secure the long-term sustainability of public transport while supporting continued service improvements and network expansion.

The standardisation of the relationships between Adult, Young Adult Card (YAC) and Child is in-line with the NTA’s National Fare Strategy which was published in 2023 with an aim that all fares are equitable, consistent and easy to understand.
This standardisation means that Child fares are set at 33% of the adult equivalent and YAC fares are set at 50% of the adult equivalent, across all fare types.
The NTA has been working to establish these relationships to make fares easier to understand for passengers and equitable across the country. This will also help the NTA to determine changes in fare levels. With these standard relationships in place, the NTA can set the Adult fare, and as a result all associated YAC and Child fares will be determined.

Comparison with fares in other European cities indicates that even with the proposed fare increases, Dublin is still significantly better value for single trip fares. All comparison cities offer a similar free travel for younger children scheme. Most cities that offer child discounts are 50%, except Berlin and Brussels (37.5% and no discount, respectively). Comparison cities tend to discount period student/young adult fares only.

Similarly, Germany has prioritised affordability through the nationwide Deutschland ticket, while also providing free travel for young children and discounted products for younger passengers and students. The Netherlands has also moved towards greater support for families and younger travellers, introducing nationwide free public transport for children up to age 11 from 2027, building on existing child travel concessions.

Therefore, as the table demonstrates when benchmarked against other European countries, Ireland’s fare strategy compares very favourably. Like London, which operates a Hopper fare allowing multiple bus and tram journeys within a defined time period and provides free travel for children under 11 together with concessions for students and young people, Ireland continues to offers a 90-minute integrated fare across multiple modes in Dublin and Cork cities, along with nationwide free travel for children up to 9 years and substantial discounts for young adults and students.

Ireland therefore aligns closely with key European trends, including integrated fares, free or heavily discounted travel for children, and significant concessions for students and young adults. The combination of these measures demonstrates a strong and sustained commitment to keeping public transport affordable and accessible for households across the country.

[1] Enables 60 minutes of interchange bus to bus only

[2] Enables 60 minutes of travel on bus and tram only

[3] Enables 60 minutes of travel across tram, metro and buses