I am aware from driving around that petrol prices quoted at various stations are hugely divergent. That is true in my county and the Deputy's. One reason for that relates to the fluctuating price of oil on the markets.
Our rate of inflation is in the upper quartile of members of the EU and has been for some time. Ours is not the highest and it has been higher. I stick with our prediction, as does the ESRI, that average inflation in 2002 will be of the order of 4.2%. That is what I said at budget time and the ESRI uses the same figure today.
Deputy McDowell asked a question about the ESRI contention that there would be an undershoot of the order of €700 million. I can only refer to my officials' end quarter Exchequer statement which pointed out that changes in taxation are staggered throughout the year going forward. When that was published they were still of the view that the small surplus of €117 million I predicted at budget time would be met.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.