The Minister for Finance has been asked to bring a resolution before the Dáil to halt the planned increases in petrol and diesel prices next month and again in October.
The Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, Pearse Doherty, believes people are “being hammered” on fuel prices and has called on Minister Jack Chambers to “reverse plans” to raise the price of fuel.
“Petrol prices are 23% higher than three years ago. Diesel prices are 28% higher,” Deputy Doherty told the Dáil recently.
However Minister Chambers has challenged this claim and said there has been a reduction in the national average prices and outlined that as of July 1, these stood at “€1.77 for petrol and €1.69 for diesel”.
The Government introduced a temporary reduction in the excise rates charged on petrol, diesel and green diesel in 2002 because of the impact of the war in Ukraine on global prices.
The phased restoration of these rates began in April which added 4c/L on petrol, 3c/L on diesel, and 1.5c/L on green diesel.
Minister Chambers
According to Minister Chambers the Government “is conscious of the implications of fuel costs for all sectors of society”.
“While I recognise that households and businesses continue to face challenges, the Government must strike the appropriate balance between providing support and avoiding fuelling cyclical inflationary trends,” he added.
Minister Chambers also stated that “there are no current plans to change the planned restoration rates” next month.
But the Sinn Féin TD for Donegal has criticised this position and described it as “really disappointing”.
“It is the wrong thing and it is just making families poorer. I urge the minister to bring a resolution before the Dáil,” he added.
Green diesel
The Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, Claire Kerrane, has also previously warned that restoring the excise rates on fuel would see family farmers face “additional price hikes” when they were already experiencing high input costs.
Deputy Kerrane has highlighted that farmers are already battling soaring input costs and she said “can little afford additional price hikes when it comes to green diesel”.