Varadkar: Public transport fare increases unavoidable

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has said that public transport operators have little option but to increase fares.

Minister Varadkar says he is powerless to stop the National Transport Authority from approving higher fares for train and bus services.

The Minister also said that he is keen to ensure that the State subsidy for CIE will not be cut any further from 2015 onwards.

"When it comes to the next comprehensive spending review I’ll be proposing to Government that there not be any further reductions in in the PSO from 2015 onwards," he said.

"Because it is the case and this is where I think you’re right is that the kind of fare increases we have seen in recent years are not sustainable in the long term."

He admitted however that CIE's financial struggle means fare increases are unavoidable, however.

"The country doesn't have the money it used to have," he said.

"We all know this."