Hauliers expect diesel to hit €2/L and call for emergency supports
Hauliers are calling for temporary supports from the government as they expect diesel prices to exceed €2/L.
The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has today (Wednesday, March 4) written to Tánaiste, and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris seeking support for the sector.
The association said that escalating tensions in the Middle East will "almost certainly" push pump prices beyond the €2/L mark.
It warned that this will increase costs across groceries, construction materials and transport, with particular pressure on rural and small businesses.
According to the IRHA, this will "drive inflation and hit hard pressed consumers where it hurts".
Hauliers
Hauliers are calling on government to temporarily suspend some of the taxes, charges and levies on fuel prices, until the situation in the Middle East is resolved.
IRHA president Ger Hyland said most of the pump price of diesel is made up of government-imposed excise duties, carbon taxes, VAT and other levies.
The association is calling for temporary relief on fuel excise and related charges to offset what it describes as "a looming affordability challenge for the wider economy".
Hyland said hauliers may require a scheme similar to the Licensed Haulage Emergency Support Scheme (LHESS), introduced in 2022.
This scheme provided supports for hauliers following surging fuel costs in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
Middle East
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is located between Iran and Oman, has come to a standstill after it was closed by Iran.
The shipping route normally handles around one-fifth of the world's oil trade. The closure of the key trade route has resulted in a spike in global oil prices.
The IRHA said it is monitoring developments in the Strait of Hormuz alongside European counterparts.
The association warned that any further disruption could have "a significant impact on Irish fuel prices".
"Everything you buy - groceries, furniture, clothes and building materials - arrives by truck.
"If our fuel costs rise significantly, the price of those goods will increase You are going to see higher prices because of this conflict.
"Government needs to act now and implement a support scheme," Hyland said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday warned against price gouging as energy prices rise due to the Middle East conflict.
However, Hyland said pump prices have already risen, and he questioned what the government plans to do about it.
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has written to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) asking the watchdog to carry out a review of the retail energy market.
