Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 December 2013
103. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources how the price of motor fuel at filling stations here compares with prices throughout the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52195/13]
View answerThe European Commission maintains a Statistics and Market Observatory, which presents consumer prices and net prices (excluding duties and taxes) of petroleum products in EU Member States (known as the Oil Bulletin) on a weekly basis. The Oil Bulletin is designed to improve the transparency of oil prices and to strengthen the internal market. The relevant link is: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/observatory/oil/bulletin_en.htm .In addition to the weekly oil bulletins, the Commission also, on a less frequent basis, produces three maps of Europe with the euro prices for petrol, diesel and the varying national tax take for these two products in each of the 27 EU Member States. The oil bulletin of 25 November 2013, shows the price of petrol in Ireland was at €1.56 litre including taxes and duties (66c litre excluding taxes), while the price of diesel was €1.49 litre including taxes and duties (71c litre excluding taxes). The weighted EU average for the 17 Member States in the Euro area for the same week was €1.57 litre for petrol including taxes and duties (66c litre excluding taxes) and €1.41 litre for diesel including taxes and duties (71c litre excluding taxes). As can be seen from the reports on the European Commission website, prices in EU Member States and the weighted averages fluctuate on a weekly basis. This data illustrates that Ireland's petrol and diesel prices are very close to those in the other Euro area Member States, especially when differences in taxes and duties are taken account of.
I have no statutory function in the setting of oil prices. The price paid at the pump by consumers is largely determined by taxation levels, the internationally traded price of crude oil and the consequent price at which refined product is traded in Europe, along with the level of competition in the retail market. The Irish oil industry is fully privatised, liberalised and deregulated and there is free entry to the market. Upward trends in global oil prices underscore the Government’s commitment to delivering national energy efficiency and renewable energy objectives, which are aimed at moving the economy away from reliance on imported, carbon intensive fossil fuels such as oil.
