Kildare student paying €400 a month just to travel to college in Dublin - Senator

Senator Mark Wall has highlighted the high prices being paid by students in South Kildare travelling on buses and trains. 

Senator Wall said he was contacted by a student from Athy who is paying €15 per day on the train as well as €25 on a Leap card each week to get from the train station in Dublin to college.

He said: "This adds up to €100 per week. In this case, the student could not get accommodation in Dublin, due to the lack of supply and the cost.

"However, they are paying €400 per month in transport costs to get to college. Their sibling is using a bus service from the town to Maynooth University and is paying €80 per week in bus fares to attend. Both of them have informed me that these costs remain even when existing student discounts for train fares and Leap cards are taken into account.

"I have previously raised the case of a Monasterevin student who is also paying €100 per week to attend college. I know of similar cases right throughout south Kildare."

The politician said he has sent a submission to the Greater Dublin Transport Strategy calling for a review of prices from commuting counties.

He told the Seanad this week: "I have outlined before the unacceptable difference between train fares in south Kildare, compared with north Kildare.

"The examples of these students paying such a high price for travel is a further cause of alarm for us all in tackling our climate crisis.

"These young people are our future commuters.

"We should be encouraging them to avail of public transport rather than giving them a fare reduction in one hand and taking it away with the other."