Fingal commuters travelling 12km for work, Smith reveals

Research carried out by Labour TD Duncan Smith has revealed that people in Fingal are commuting an average of 12km. 

While this is below the national average of 16.9km, Smith said “far too many of us are spending far too much time in the car travelling to and from work.”

“It’s a drain on people’s energy and it cuts into family and personal time, and it’s also leading to persistently high carbon emissions.”

Those in Laois, Leitrim and Roscommon face the longest average commutes at 24.4kms, 23.7kms and 22.4kms respectively.

The Labour transport spokesperson said there are a “plethora” of problems that are leading to the commuter crisis, most notably a lack of public transport options, affordable housing options and the lack of clarity on workers’ right to remote work.

“The latest Daft report shows that the average cost of a home in Dublin continues to rise, at €372,260 in Dublin City Centre in Q3 of 2023, and €388,193 in North County Dublin.”

“House prices are pushing people further and further out from our cities.” Smith said that Government’s failure to tackle the housing crisis has caused a “ripple effect” across Irish society, with the lack of affordable housing “forcing people into longer commutes, taking away from valuable family time and stifling local economies.”

Smith recently raised the issue of poor public transport in Fingal, and he said that as a whole public transport infrastructure remains underdeveloped.”

“This Government is failing to prioritise investment in public transport and connectivity between the cities and counties to get people out of the car and onto the bus.”

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shift to flexible work was a missed opportunity, according to Smith.

“We saw so many people put an end to their commute during the pandemic because of the overnight shift to flexible work.”

“This not only benefited the people working, but also local areas which saw thriving businesses and communities.”

He cited the likes of pop-up coffee trailers and increased footfall in local communities as positive legacies of the pandemic which Government are not following up on.

He said that people “really benefited from an improved quality of life by avoiding the disheartening commute” and said that Labour are “continuing to push for a right to flexible work for all employees who can work from home.

“If we are serious about tackling the climate crisis, then we do need to rethink how we run our society.

“People should have available, affordable homes close to work; if they choose to live further away from the office, then they should have reliable access to affordable public transport.”