LAST UPDATE | 34 mins ago

ROAD TOLLS ACROSS the country will increase from 1 January, including an extra €1 at peak times at the Dublin Port Tunnel.

A spokesperson for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said that the level of tolls charged is regulated through an inflation adjustment mechanism.

The board of Transport Infrastructure Ireland has approved increases for the ten toll roads in Ireland.

For the M50, all vehicle categories will see an increase.

M50 toll increases TII TII

For registered car users who have a tag or video account, the increase will be 10 cent, while unregistered car users will pay an extra 20 cent.

Goods vehicles not exceeding 2,000kg will increase by 10 cent in the case of registered users with tags or unregistered users, and by 20 cent for those registered with video accounts.

Heavier HGVs on M50 will increase by either 20 cent or 30 cent.

At the Dublin Port Tunnel, there will be an increase of €1 for southbound, towards Dublin, during morning peak hours, which is 6am to 10am from Monday to Friday.

The charge during this period will increase from €14 to €15.

Other Dublin Port Tunnel toll rates will remain unchanged for 2027.

Dublin Port Tunnell increases TII TII

A spokesperson said this increase “reflects the increasing volumes of traffic being experienced in southbound peak period, and the requirement to preserve capacity for heavy goods vehicles accessing Dublin Port”.

Meanwhile, the M50 toll and Dublin Port Tunnel are operated on behalf of TII, while the other eight are operated under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

These tolls will also see increases.

Rates for cars and motorcycles on M3 Clonee to Kells will remain unchanged, but rates for cars at all other toll locations will increase by 10 cent.

Other toll increases TII TII

Meanwhile, heavier HGVs will see an increase of 20 cent, with HGVs of more than 3,500kg and four-or-more axles increasing by 30 cent (apart from the M3 Clonee to Kells, which increases by 10 cent).

Meanwhile, TII said that tolling income that it collects “supplements separate funding allocations from the Exchequer”.

It said that tolling income supports TII’s “functions and activities relating to the operation, maintenance and life-cycle asset management of the national roads network”.

It added that the “primary purpose of toll revenue is generally to fund protection and renewal activities on the national road network” and that the revenues collected “make a significant contribution to the funds required for TII’s Protection and Renewal budget”.

Elsewhere, in relation to the PPP operated toll schemes, a spokesperson for TII said that the revenue collected by these companies is “also used to pay off loans borrowed by the companies for the construction of the motorway, as well as for the operation and maintenance of the motorway”.

‘Transport operators will not stand for this’

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) strongly criticised the increased toll charges and has described the decision as “tone deaf”.

IRHA president Ger Hyland said the announcement came at a “particularly difficult time for Ireland’s transport sector”.

He said the sector is “facing a perfect storm of rising fuel costs, ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and significant financial pressures” and that the increase “demonstrates a worrying lack of understanding of the challenges currently facing the industry”.

Hyland also claimed that the toll increases will “lead to further inflation for Irish households”.

“This toll increase will lead to higher supermarket prices, higher inflation and is just another tax on hard-pressed motorists and Irish households,” said Hyland.

“They will now pay more for bread, milk and eggs because we will have to pay more to deliver those items.”

Hyland meanwhile described the increases as “price gouging” and said there is “fury amongst transport operators”.

“Transport operators will not stand for this,” said Hyland.

“The Government needs to intervene here and reverse this decision.

“This toll increase will be another nail in the coffin of Ireland’s haulage industry and will see more operators going under.

“We are seeking an immediate meeting with the Taoiseach to outline hauliers concerns and to ask him to intervene in this dispute.”