The CEO of Fuels for Ireland says the restoration of excise duty on fuel will have a serious effect on petrol stations situated on the border.
Last Thursday, the price of a litre of petrol increased by four cent a litre, while diesel increased by three cent a litre. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue says he is aware of the effect this will have on petrol stations around the border region and stated it would be to the fore of discussions in Cabinet. CEO of Fuels for Ireland, Kevin McPartlan says the seriousness of the issue must be highlighted or businesses will close. He outlined that petrol stations, especially rural ones, are a lifeline for communities and they currently cannot compete with stations based in Northern Ireland
"The local forecourt isn't just the place you buy petrol and diesel. It's probably also the place that has the longest opening hours for a conveniance store. So, if you've run out of milk it's the place you go. It might be the place you go for batteries on Christmas Day because someone forgot to get batteries for the remote control car. It might also be the place that has the only prepared food option in a small town or village. We have to think about that. When we think about rural areas, it's not just petrol and diesel. They play a much more significant role than they do in Dublin, say".
