*Ruth Griffin.
FAMILIES across the county “are being hammered”, a Clare TD has said amid massive increases on fuel and home heating oil.
Increases in the price of home-heating oil in the aftermath of the Iran war were around eight times higher in Ireland than elsewhere in the European Union.
Figures from the European Commission’s weekly oil bulletin show between 23 February and 2 March the price of home-heating oil here jumped by 27.3% – rising from €0.96 per litre to €1.23 per litre.
This was the largest weekly increase across all EU countries, and compares with an average increase in price across the EU27 for heating oil of 3.3%.
Within Co Clare, the price of diesel has hit over €2 per litre in parts of the county.
Founder and managing director of Spa Transport, Eugene Drennan has called on government to suspend the carbon tax levy on Diesel, as fuel prices continue to soar at the pumps.
Lisdoonvarna native Eugene who is Deputy Vice President of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) said that government is taking 19.6 cent per litre in a carbon tax levy and has called on government to suspend the levy as a “temporary measure” to “steady the market”.
He stated, “We can postpone the carbon tax as a temporary measure. I am sure government will say there is a myriad of reasons, why they cannot postpone the tax. We need to suspend it for a period of time. It can be re-introduced at a future date, when things settle down, but right now we need it”.
Clare TD, Donna McGettigan (SF) said “families across the county are being hammered by massive increases in the cost of home heating oil and fuel” and accused energy companies of exploiting the crisis in the Middle East to drive up prices while the Government refuses to intervene.
She said, “People across Clare have been contacting me in shock at the huge jump in the price of home heating oil and fuel in recent days. Some households are reporting increases of hundreds of euros for a delivery of heating oil, while motorists are also seeing sharp hikes at the pumps”.
Deputy McGettigan outlined, “Families were already under enormous financial pressure. Now companies appear to be exploiting international events to squeeze even more profit out of households who are already struggling”.
Questions must be asked on price gouging, the Shannon woman said when referencing the scale and speed of the increases. “These hikes are happening in real time. Prices have surged by massive amounts in just a matter of days. It looks like blatant price gouging and it is a brazen rip-off happening in plain sight. The government should be hauling the bosses of these companies in and demanding answers. They need to make it clear that exploiting a crisis to fleece households will not be tolerated.”
McGettigan said the government’s response so far has been completely inadequate, pointing out that the Taoiseach refused to reconsider planned carbon tax increases even as fuel prices surge.
Chief executive of Fuels for Ireland Kevin McPartland has repeatedly denied allegations of price gouging by the industry, saying suppliers here are dependent on wholesale market prices.
