Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 May 2024
224. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 169 of 23 April 2024, the reason neither his Department nor the SEAI engaged with the primary stakeholders, petrol station retailers, or the CCPC before SI No. 703 of 2022 implementing Article 7.3 of Directive 2014/94/EU was signed into law; his views on whether this is good practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21815/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2022, the Department of Transport put in place Regulations via Statutory Instrument 703 of 2022 to implement Article 7.3 of the European Union Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (Directive 2014/94/EU) which required that all Member States make provision for the display of comparative fuel price information at fuel stations.
Many SIs are relatively minor in their scope and impact. The Regulations in question here implemented only one article of the Directive, Article 7.3, which required that Member States put in place requirements that fuel stations display fuel price comparison information in the broader public interest.
On the basis that there was little or no discretion possible from the Directive itself in terms of the implementation of this specific article, a consultation on the Regulations was not considered necessary as the requirement to implement the provisions of the Directive would not be subject to change.
The SEAI as Regulator for Fuel Price Comparison contacted a number of potential stakeholders as part of their preparation for the implementation of their role and are now supporting fuel station operators in the practical implementation of the requirements of the Directive. The ongoing support has included a webinar for operators, an FAQ and related guidance documents and publication of articles on the SEAI website giving context to the display of the comparison as well as matters such as the calculation of fuel prices.
While undertaking a consultation is generally considered best practice, it is not practical or proportionate for Departments to consult on every matter or decision for which it is responsible, particularly where the normal purpose of such a consultation, that being to inform policy decisions, are so limited in scope.
In this case, the provisions of Article 7.3 of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive are clear in that Fuel Price Comparison information should be displayed at fuel stations.
An internal assessment was undertaken to seek proportionate and reasonable implementation of the Directive which would not undermine its specific purpose, to inform consumers of the various fuels and alternative fuels which are or may be available to them. Alternative fuels are likely to play a significant role in the decarbonisation efforts being undertaken worldwide to reduce the serious effects of climate change.
