The National Consumer Agency said today it is carrying out a price survey on the cost of fuel following reports that motorists are being charged considerably more for diesel and petrol than consumers in other EU member states.
According to official figures from the European Commission Irish motorists are currently being charged up to 20 per cent more for fuel, with Ireland 11 per cent more expensive than the EU average for petrol, 20 per cent dearer for diesel and 13 per cent more costly for home heating oil.
The figures show that over the last six months Irish prices have changed from being considerably cheaper than other EU states to being much dearer.
The agency said today a price survey on wholesale costs of fuel and oil and retail prices charged on forecourts is underway. Once completed, a report will be sent to the Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, the NCA said.
Commenting on the European Commission's figures, the chief executive of the agency, Ann Fitzgerald said: "our work to date suggests that price data, on an aggregated basis, is being supplied to Irish authorities on a monthly basis while the EU is publishing weekly tracked prices. This means that the data the EU is receiving from the Irish authorities is hopelessly inadequate and out of date with the result that weekly tracking of Irish prices versus those in other EU countries is impossible."
"With the global price of oil fluctuating, we want to ascertain whether oil companies are quickly passing on savings on oil prices internationally and if petrol and diesel pump operators are subsequently passing those savings on to consumers," she added.
Welcoming this afternoon's announcement by the agency, the Labour Party called on the Government to investigate possible uncompetitive practices in the fuel market that may be leading to artificially high petrol and diesel prices.
"A faster response at the petrol pumps to falling fuel prices internationally is crucial from the point of view of consumers, businesses and the wider economy. We are currently experiencing a recession, and as inflation continues to reduce people's purchasing power, fuel price reductions should be passed on to consumers immediately," said the party's spokesman on transport, Tommy Broughan
