Irish fuel excise cut ‘eroded immediately’

Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty said that many filling stations are charging over two euro per litre and accused some fuel stations of “engaging in price gouging at a time of crisis”.

The Irish government introduced a cut of 20 cent per litre on petrol and 15 cent per litre of diesel, which took effect from midnight yesterday.

The measure, introduced amid concerns about growing pressures on the cost of living, will last until August 31.

The government estimates that the measure will cost 320 million euro.

Despite the slash in excise duty, many drivers were seeing prices above two euro a litre.

“The price in most filling stations this morning is more than what they were on Tuesday morning,” Mr Doherty said in the Dail.

“The reduction has been immediately eroded and that is the likely trajectory.

“Prices are going to continue to go up and up. It’s something that ordinary workers, ordinary families simply can’t afford because it comes on top of already skyrocketing cost of living.

“People are panicking out there. People are struggling.

“They’re struggling to make ends meet and the government doesn’t seem to understand that, doesn’t seem to understand the pressures of workers and families are under, doesn’t seem to understand that businesses and farmers are now being pushed to the pin of their collar because half measures simply doesn’t cut it. You could have done more”.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said that when the government made the decision to cut excise duty, they knew it would “not cover the full cost”.