Context of the 2026 Fares Determination
Since 2022, the cost of operating public transport services has increased, the fare levels have decreased, and public policy has extended free travel to new cohorts of passenger narrowing the fare revenue base.
The shift in economic landscape following the COVID pandemic led to a sharp increase in price inflation of 20.8% between January 2022 and May 2026 in Ireland1. This price inflation also extends to the cost of operating subsidised public transport services such as the cost for purchase / maintenance of vehicles, fuel and staff costs. The post pandemic increase in patronage requires additional vehicles which incurs additional staff costs to drive and maintain the fleet, which puts further pressure on the PSO public transport budget.
In the same time period as the 20.8% price inflation, public transport fares decreased through various measures including the 20% cost of living discount which was applied to all subsidised public transport fares and the Young Adult / Student discount of 50% on equivalent adult leap fares applied in 2022. In 2025, free travel was extended to include children under 9 and for companions of those over 70 as part of the Free Travel Scheme.
Further details are in the Fare Determination document below
Introduction of Fares Determination
In summary, this Fares Determination will introduce the following changes:
- Dublin City Zone: Bus Services operated by Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland, Luas light rail services and DART heavy rail services operated by Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail.
- Cash / Leap fares and products to increase by an average of 15%
- Short fare to increase by 33% to €2
- Dublin Commuter Zone: Bus services operated by Bus Éireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, J.J. Kavanagh & Sons, and commuter rail services operated by Iarnród Éireann.
- Most fares and current products to increase by an average of 15%
- A new reduced child rate priced at 33% of the equivalent adult fare for all ticket types
- Retention of interim fare measures introduced as part of the Dublin Commuter Zone rollout
- Regional City: Bus services in Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford.
- No change to the Cork City Bus Leap, Cash and Daily / Weekly cap rates
- A new flat fare replacing the standard and higher zone fares in Galway, Limerick and Waterford
Adult Leap fare to increase by 10% to €1.70, with a 15% increase in period products - Standardisation of the 50% Young Adult discount across all ticket types in the regional cities
- A new reduced child rate priced at 33% of the equivalent adult fare
- Town: Athlone, Balbriggan, Carlow, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dundalk, Kilkenny (city) , Mullingar, Navan, Portlaoise and Sligo
- Town fares to increase by 10% for Leap Adult to €1.65 and 15% for Cash to €2.30
- Student / Young Adult fares and products to be priced at 50% of the equivalent adult fare
- A new reduced child rate priced at 33% of the equivalent adult fare of €0.50 cent Leap / €0.80 cent cash
- National: Bus Éireann stage carriage and Intercity rail services operated by Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail.
- Bus stage carriage fares and products to increase by an average of 15%
- Intercity rail Open Return tickets to be discontinued (see Section 4.3 for further details)
- Intercity rail Express fares to increase by 10% and Economy fares by up to 20%
- Review of rail promotional fares
- TFI Local Link: Regular Rural Services
- An average 15% increase in single fares
- Retention of the 50% Student / Young Adult discount and child fares priced at 33% of the equivalent adult fare
- Standardisation of period product rates in line with fare policy
These revised fares are planned to take effect during 2027 following consultation with operators on implementation timelines. A full list of fare types and rates are provided in the Appendices to this document.
