Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Meath West commuters eagerly anticipated the new commuter fare zones being announced but they were disappointed in April to find out those only related to rail fares. We were disappointed again in recent weeks when the bus fares were announced. My own town of Trim only saw a minimal decrease in the fare but towns like Navan and Athboy saw an increase. The rationale given is that these fares now cover bus and rail. Unfortunately, as the Taoiseach well knows, we have no access to rail lines in towns like Navan and Athboy. I ask that an exception be made in areas that have no rail line and for these fares to be reduced. Meath has a huge amount of commuters leaving it every morning. We have the longest commutes in the country, mostly in cars, so we need that incentive for commuters.

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