Hopes are high that the current crisis in the Gulf doesn’t lead to unfair fuel prices hikes for consumers.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke has written to the Chair of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission seeking a review of the retail energy market to establish if people are being price gouged.
The Irish Road Haulage Association is accusing companies of inflating prices – its President, Laois man Ger Hyland, is calling for an immediate cut to Government taxes on fuel, noting; “Why do we wait until the wolf is at the door, us as an association have been calling for this for years, now when we have a fuel crisis we’re talking about reviews, reviews take time, we need support now, the Government yesterday claimed there’s no reason for fuel to be increasing in Ireland, well if that be the case why aren’t they calling in the fuel importers and asking them to explain themselves?”.
He adds; “Absolutely, there’s supposed to be 90 days supply on the island of Ireland, if there’s 90 days of supply on the island of Ireland that was bought in at the cheaper price than it is today and it’s obviously price-gouging, our Taoiseach said yesterday that he didn’t see a huge increase or didn’t hear of a huge increase in fuel, if he was still in his own car he would know”.
KCLR News’ Martin Quilty’s been out on local forecourts asking some local motorists for their views and observations;
