Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I am not sure what body is charged with ensuring a competitive oil and liquid fuels market. There is clearly concern on the part of motorists purchasing petrol that there are cartels operating, but nobody appears to be in charge of investigating or dealing with that possibility. The only organisation I can find is the Automobile Association, AA, which is hardly the appropriate body. There is also the issue of the difficulty in accessing supplies, given that so many petrol stations are closing due to the lucrative property market. This is a problem particularly in rural communities, where petrol stations are closing and people are concerned that this will concentrate the facilities to an even greater degree. What does the Minister intend to do about that?

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