Mr. Tony Goodwin:

Our pre-budget submission will be to the effect that, without the introduction of equalisation, we want to tackle all the other cost issues Ms Murphy mentioned, and to bring the rate to somewhere near the ballpark of the rate in other European countries, although it will fall very short of that. We want to bring the floor for the rebate down to 85 cent and to increase the maximum rebate allowable from 7.5 cent to 15 cent and for that 15 cent to be payable once the price reaches €1 per litre. That costing would be €22 million and that is in circumstances where there would be no reduction in fuel tourism. Currently, our international hauliers buy all of their fuel on the Continent simply because they can avail of a much better rebate.