Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee has called on the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Iarnród Éireann to urgently address what she describes as an "unjust and unacceptable" rail fare disparity affecting daily commuters from Balbriggan and Skerries.
Under a newly introduced fare structure, Balbriggan and Skerries have been grouped into the Dublin Commuter Zone — along with towns in counties Kildare, Wicklow, and Louth — rather than being included in the Dublin City Zone like other Dublin stations. As a result, rail users in Balbriggan and Skerries face far higher fares than commuters from other parts of Dublin.
Currently, a Leap Card fare from Rush and Lusk to Connolly Station is just €2, while commuters from Skerries and Balbriggan must now pay €3.90 — up from €3. Similarly, the cash fare for these journeys has risen from €3.90 to €5.10 — an increase of over 30%.
Senator Clifford-Lee said, "This is simply unfair. People living in Balbriggan and Skerries are Dubliners and they should be treated the same as every other Dublin commuter.
"Not only are fares higher, but parking at the train stations is often necessary due to poor public transport connections between residential areas and the railway. We need to be encouraging more people onto public transport, not pricing them out of it.''
Clifford-Lee is demanding that Balbriggan and Skerries be reclassified into the Dublin City Zone, to ensure they are treated the same as every other rail station in County Dublin.
"Other commuters are seeing their public transport costs fall. Balbriggan and Skerries commuters should be no different. I am calling on the NTA to urgently review this and deliver fairer fares for the people of Balbriggan and Skerries."
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