Bus Eireann asked to justify rise in fares

Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus are being asked to justify a 23% increase in some of its fares.

The price hike, which was much more than expected, came about despite the fact that the Minister for Transport only sanctioned a 9% rise.

Fianna Fail deputy Eoin Ryan is seeking an urgent meeting to discuss the matter: "We were led to believe that it was a 9% increase.

"It would seem that it is more than 9% in certain cases, and if we are asking and trying to encourage people to use public transport people should be able to have confidence in what sort of fares they will have and what quality of service."