An adult travelling daily from Athenry to Galway city currently pays approximately €5.10 each way by rail, despite the journey taking only around 20 minutes and the route increasingly functioning as a major commuter corridor for workers and students travelling into Galway. Meanwhile, a commuter travelling from Clonsilla to Connolly Station in Dublin, a journey of approximately 28 minutes, can travel for roughly €2.60 each way under the Dublin commuter fare structure and the Leap card system. This is wholly inequitable. It is not fair on the people of Galway and it is not fair that somebody commuting in from Athenry has to pay almost double the price just to access public transport. Is there any consideration that the Government can give to allowing people in Galway to use the Leap card structure and avail of lower fares? This situation is not fair.

I thank Deputy Dolan for raising the issue and the analytical approach he always brings to issues in this House. It is a fair point he is raising. We are obviously increasing our investment in public transport, but the affordability and fairness of public transport across all parts of the country is, of course, a legitimate issue that the Government will consider. On foot of the Deputy raising it, I will speak with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, in relation to this. I will also ask him to correspond with Irish Rail and ask it to give consideration to the matter, too.