30 October 2026
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie

Cost of living is hitting motorists

Independent Ireland Leader Michael Collins TD has criticised the latest increases in motorway toll charges, warning that motorists, commuters and businesses are being asked to shoulder yet another financial burden at a time when household budgets are already under severe pressure.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has confirmed that toll increases will come into effect from 1 January 2027, affecting the M50, Dublin Port Tunnel and a number of other major routes across the country.

M50 motorists paying through a tag or video account will face an additional 10 cent per journey, while those without an account will pay an extra 20 cent. Car tolls on most PPP-operated roads will also increase by 10 cent, while the southbound morning peak charge at the Dublin Port Tunnel will rise by €1.

File photo of cars

Deputy Collins said:

“People are being squeezed from every direction. Fuel, insurance, energy, groceries and the everyday cost of running a car have all become major pressures for ordinary families. Now we are being told that motorists must pay even more just to use the roads they depend on every day.

“We have to ask how many times over these roads are expected to be paid for. Motorists have contributed billions through toll charges over the years. TII’s own figures show that toll booths generated almost half a billion euro in revenue in 2025 alone.

“Where is the accountability? Where is the transparency around the money being collected and how it is being used? People deserve clear answers, not another annual announcement telling them that the cost of getting to work, bringing children to school or delivering goods is going up again.

“There is an obsession with taxing people in this country. Every time somebody gets into their car, fills the tank or travels to work, another charge seems to be waiting for them.

“Hauliers and small businesses cannot simply absorb these increases. They will ultimately feed into the cost of transporting goods and services, and ordinary households will feel the consequences.

“People are struggling enough. Enough is enough. Motorists cannot continue to be treated as an endless source of revenue.”

Deputy Collins called for greater transparency around toll revenues, the costs associated with operating and maintaining the national road network, and the financial arrangements underpinning public-private partnership toll roads.