‘This affects everyone’ - fears mount in Laois as fuel prices spiral

Fuel prices surged to almost €2.40 a litre of diesel in parts of Laois, with the price peaking in Portlaoise at almost €2.30 for a litre of diesel as the Government pondered how to help people cope with the hike in prices caused by the war in Iran.

A survey of prices in Portlaoise on the eve of the Government announcement of a package of measures showed a variation of prices at the pumps.

The lowest price for a litre of diesel is €2.19 per litre. The highest price reached almost €2.30 but a number were charging almost €2.29 a litre.

Petrol prices were close to €2 per litre on average in the county town at noon on Monday, March 23.

Leinster Express / Laois Live readers also highlighted the costs they are seeing at the pumps on social media.

Tricia Brennan and Daiga Klindzane said the cost of diesel at a Rathdowney filling station had reached € 2.38 last week.

Jacqueline McNulty reported seeing €2.37 for diesel at a station in the Rathdowney / Ballacolla area last weekend.

Louise Henderson said €2.23 was being charged for diesel in Portarlington at the weekend.

Claire Hughes commented on the impact on a crucial set of workers.

"Have they even spared a thought for people who are health care assistants who have to drive from home to home to care for their clients. At this rate, we won't be able to travel to them. This affects everyone," she said.

Bernie Keenan was also concerned about how bills would be paid.

"Very worried about it all, where are we going to get the extra money to heat our homes and put petrol in our cars especially when you live out the country and have no bus services," she said.

Tony Fitzpatrick wondered when prices would fall substantially.

"The filling stations were very quick raising the price of fuel by up to 40cents a litre. Let's see when this fighting stops and the price of crude drops how long it takes for them to drop the price at the pumps, guaranteed it won't be as quick," he posted.

Sinn Féin Senator for Laois, Maria McCormack, has said that families and workers are being hammered by spiralling fuel costs, as prices continue to surge.

“Across Laois, people are struggling to keep up - struggling to heat their homes, to fill the car to get to work, and to make ends meet.

“People are delaying filling their tanks, cutting back on heat, and worrying about how they will get through the week,” she said.

Senator McCormack was not pleased with the Government’s response.

“We are now in the third week of this crisis and the government has still done nothing to bring prices down. Instead, they are telling people to wait - wait for meetings, wait for decisions - while costs continue to rise. That is simply not good enough,” she said. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

READ NEXT: Laois M7 commuters face disruption due to motorway closure

Independent TD Brian Stanley said the Government is making more money as fuel prices shoot up for motoring, home heating, transport and farming.

“While Government don’t control international oil prices, they do control the level of taxation on every gallon of fuel.
“For every €100 spent on oil, petrol or diesel €65 goes to the Government coffers. The irony is that the more prices increase, the greater is the amount collected in VAT on fuel, as this is levied on a percentage basis.

“Prior to the imperial oil war in the Middle East being waged by the USA and Israel, we already had a cost-of-living crisis. We are now really in a difficult situation,” he said in the Dáil.

The Government is expected to announce a tax rebate scheme for hauliers, a double fuel allowance payment for pensioners and those on social welfare, and are expected to cut excise duty for a period to reduce fuel prices.

The measures are expected to be announced on Tuesday, yet their effects will take some time to trickle down to Laois fuel pumps.

Sources within the Government have allegedly said that they cannot truly shield the Irish public from the full impact of the war, but the package due to be announced will help consumers at the petrol pumps.

READ NEXT: Laois farmers and truckers welcome commitment to ease war hit on fuel prices

Organisations representing hauliers and tillage farmers in Laois and other counties have welcomed the Government's commitment to take steps to ease the pain caused by the spike in fuel prices caused by the Iran war.

Following talks with the Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien, in Dublin, Rosenallis man and IRHA President Ger Hyland said there is going to be "substantial support" announced for truckers.

The Irish Grain Growers Group, which represents several Laois tillage farmers, said it welcomes the Government’s commitment to intervene on fuel prices, though it’s needed for more than the short term.