Louth TD welcomes free public transport for 5-8 year olds

Fianna Fáil Louth TD, Erin McGreehan has welcomed today’s announcement that children aged 5 to 8 will now be eligible for free travel on all Transport for Ireland (TFI) services.

From today, some 263,000 children nationwide can travel free with a TFI Leap Card, following confirmation from Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and the National Transport Authority (NTA).

The scheme applies to all TFI public transport services, including Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, Iarnród Éireann, and LUAS. Children under 5 already travel free, and this expansion ensures no child is charged for public transport until their ninth birthday.

Deputy McGreehan said: “This is a really positive development for families in County Louth and right across the country. Providing free travel for children up to their ninth birthday eases the financial burden on households and makes public transport a far more attractive option for families.

"It also delivers on a clear commitment in the Programme for Government to make transport more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable.

“This initiative is about more than cost savings. It encourages the use of public transport from an early age, helping to build sustainable travel habits and reduce emissions.

“Families in both urban and rural areas will benefit, and I believe this will be warmly welcomed across County Louth.”

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Encouraging families to take up on the initiative, Deputy McGreehan added, “The Leap Card is available to all children up to their ninth birthday. Families can apply today at leapcard.ie.

“This builds on the progress we’ve made in recent years to reduce fares and improve accessibility, and I’m delighted to see another initiative introduced that makes a real difference to people’s everyday lives,” she said.

Concluding she said: "Fianna Fáil is committed to better connectivity, sustainable transport, and easing the cost of living for families - today’s announcement is another step in that direction.”