Vol. 438 No. 4
27 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the progress made to date by the Director of Consumer Affairs in investigating the reason only one in four petrol stations according to the Automobile Association were supplying premium unleaded petrol, in view of the many people in rural areas who are discriminated against in their inability to buy this cheaper petrol; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Director of Consumer Affairs has made inquiries in the matter and has found that traditionally Irish consumers, unlike most of their European counterparts, have tended to purchase higher grade petrol in the belief that their cars run better using premium grades. This tradition has extended to the newer unleaded petrols. Because of this smaller retail outlets, limited in the number of grades of fuel they can stock, have tended to sell the higher grades of petrol. This may have had more to do with consumer preference than with any attempt to force customers to pay higher prices.
The director's inquiries indicate that this situation is changing with more Irish consumers moving towards the lower grade of petrol and that petrol companies have reacted by making the cheaper grade of unleaded petrol more widely available. The latest information available indicates that three out of four petrol stations nationwide are now stocking the lower grade unleaded petrol.
