Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has said that the near doubling of M50 toll revenues over the past decade highlights the growing financial pressure on ordinary commuters.
New figures released to the Deputy through a parliamentary question shows that toll income on the M50 has increased from €111.2 million in 2015 to €216.3 million in 2025, a rise of 94.5%. While traffic levels have recovered since the pandemic, the scale of this increase raises serious questions about the cost burden being placed on workers and families who rely on the road every day.
Deputy Tóibín said: “Commuters are being hit again and again in the pocket. The reality is that many workers have no viable alternative but to use the M50, and they are now paying almost twice as much collectively as they were a decade ago. In the last 5 years alone revenue has increased by ”
“At a time of sustained cost-of-living pressures, the government cannot continue to treat motorists as a cash cow. There is a real need for transparency as to how these toll revenues are being spent, and whether the public is getting value for money.”
“We also need to ask whether tolling levels are fair and proportionate, particularly when many households are already struggling with rising costs across the board. Investment in public transport and infrastructure must be prioritised so that people have genuine alternatives.”
The Deputy concluded by calling on the government to review M50 tolling policy and ensure that commuters are not being unfairly burdened.
