Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has said he does not accept that a choice must be made between cheaper fares and progressing major public transport projects such as Dublin’s MetroLink, writes Brian Mahon.

Reports last week said the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) officials warned the Government that it must “consider the longer-term funding approach for the public service obligation” – which subsidises transport fares.

They said that cheap fares “create challenges for a wider, increased capacity” and more “frequent public transport”.

The previous government introduced 20% cuts on public transport fares in 2022, when the Green Party held the Transport portfolio.

This included a €2 cap on 90-minute fares in Dublin across bus, Luas and Dart services, while a 50% reduction in charges for younger people was introduced later.

These temporary measures have been renewed in each budget since.

But DPER officials argued that funding projects such as the MetroLink, Luas and BusConnects, and providing more regular services, would be more beneficial to boosting the numbers using public transport than subsidised fares.

One senior Government source said: “Darragh will have to decide what he wants to prioritise.”

Yesterday, Mr O’Brien said the choice was “not just binary”, adding: “I don’t accept it, the premise [that you can only have one or the other].

“We get advice from officials from time to time. Sometimes we accept it. Sometimes we don’t and that’s their opinion.

“It forms part of how we come to that decision. But the NDP [National Development Plan] is clear.

“We’ll have a review coming up shortly, and there are very significant infrastructure projects that we need to deliver.”

The Fianna Fáil TD said he wanted to see cheaper fares continue, remarking: “We’ve invested significantly in public transport over the last term of the government.

“We’ve seen record numbers of people using public transport. We want to build on that.”

He said the public service obligation was “very important” as it enabled the Government to “keep fares low”.

Mr O’Brien also said that the Government is looking at a new pricing structure for people who live outside commuter counties who principally use the train to get into work.

He added: “We will, this year, bring in the five-to-eight-year-olds free travel in that space too... There’s some very good schemes coming through now.

“We have the expansion of Dart, we will have the Metro scheme coming through planning as well and the Cork light rail.

“These are projects that are needed and governments are committed to them under the NDP. So resourcing them, you know, through capital allocations is already committed. The sooner we get building those projects, the better.”

DPER officials have said that there is “limited evidence” that the fare initiatives are effective in encouraging modal shift as the increase in passenger numbers has not kept up with overall population increases.

The note added: “Network enhancement and new services are likely to have a greater impact on passenger numbers. A balance needs to be found.”