The operators of State-subsidised bus, rail and Luas services were hit with a combined €17 million in fines in 2024.

Figures released by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and the Department of Transport show Bus Éireann lost close to €5 million under performance-related deductions.

Dublin Bus had penalties of €4.6 million imposed, and Irish Rail had deductions of €3.7 million imposed.

The Luas operators faced penalties of €2.1 million, and Go-Ahead more than €1.3 million, the Irish Times reports.

Under NTA contracts, operators who receive a State subsidy that fail to meet minimum standards can be fined.

However, there are also incentive payments for operators who exceed minimum standards.

The Department of Transport did say passenger numbers were continuing to surge across public transport services, up more than five per cent in the first part of this year.

It said punctuality was also better among operators of State transport contracts, with Bus Éireann being highlighted for achieving significant improvements.

The department said there were a record 363.5 million passenger journeys on services operated by Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, Luas, Go-Ahead Ireland, and TFI Local Link in 2025.

It noted the most recent data provided by the NTA showed a further growth of 5.33 per cent in the first part of 2026 across the main operators with public service obligation contracts.