Each year Iarnród Éireann carries over 55 million passengers on its Intercity, DART and Commuter trains. If even a small percentage of passengers failed to pay for their tickets, the revenue lost to Iarnród Éireann would be substantial.
Fare evasion is a criminal offence. You must purchase a valid ticket for the journey you are making before you get on any train. If you do not have a valid ticket or validated Leap/Smart card when asked to produce your ticket, you can be prosecuted in the District Court under the Railway Safety Act 2005. A passenger who travels without a valid ticket faces a fine of up to €1,000 on conviction in the District Court as well as legal costs.
If you cannot produce a valid ticket when requested to do so by an authorised officer, you may be issued with a Fixed Payment Notice. This means that if you wish to avoid a court appearance and the possibility of receiving a criminal conviction, you may pay a fine of €100 plus your unpaid fare. The Fixed Payment option is only available for a period of 21 days as set out in the Railway Safety Act. If the fine is not paid within that period, a summons will issue and legal costs will be incurred.
If you have been issued with a Fixed Payment Notice you can pay it online.
