No discussion has taken place at Cabinet yet about a rise in rail fares to pay for part of the Government's £430 million rail safety plan, according to the Minister for Public Enterprise.
Speaking on RTE's MoneyBox programme, Ms O'Rourke said she had received an application for a fares increase from Dublin Bus but none so far from Iarnrod Eireann.
The applications by the companies for fare increases are understood to be contingent on the conclusion of negotiations for their own restructuring programmes. Management and unions in Dublin bus reached a restructuring agreement late last year, prompting the Minister to announce in December that she was prepared to increase fares.
She told the Dail that she would respond positively to a request for an increase for Dublin Bus. Bus fares in Dublin have not been increased since 1991, during which time the cost of living had risen by 16 per cent.
Fine Gael, however, criticised the decision to allow an increase in fares and said it would do nothing to induce commuters out of their cars on to buses and trains.
Last week the Minister announced a spending programme of £430 million to improve rail safety over the next five years. She also announced an expansion of commuter train services. Ms O'Rourke predicted that the expansion would boost peak-hour capacity on the greater Dublin suburban network by 60 per cent. More than £230 million is required to bring Iarnrod Eireann's network into a safe condition, without having to impose speed restrictions or other measures to ensure safety.
The highly critical review of rail safety by consultants IRMS recommended £590 million to be spent over 15 years and the Government has decided to "front load" the bulk of the necessary investment into the first five years.