Tonight, the prices of petrol and diesel are set to rise once again. The government have decided to reinstate excise duties that were cut to combat the cost-of-living crisis, in a phased manner. This means that from Thursday, petrol will be 6 cent a litre more expensive, and diesel 5 cent more costly.
Michael Kilcoyne, chairperson of the Consumers Association of Ireland, says this will have a direct and knock-on effect on consumers, making transport and goods more expensive. He told Newstalk radio: “If this fuel is being used for carrying product to the supermarket, then the only one who can pay for it is the consumer.”
Mr Kilcoyne believes it is unfair to increase the cost of living for consumers at a time when the Government has so much revenue. He is calling on them to postpone the increase until the end of the year, saying: “Six cents on a litre of petrol, five cents on a litre of diesel is a lot of money, especially in country areas where there is no public transport.”
