Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I understand from people in the sector that the margins in the fuel delivery business are incredibly tight, probably because it is an open and competitive market. The Deputy sees a suspicion of price fixing where prices move up and down in tandem. Perhaps she is right, and her deep suspicions or widespread concerns are based on fact. Alternatively, however, perhaps the fluctuations in the oil market price cause prices in the petrol stations here to rise and fall accordingly. If there is evidence to support the deep suspicions and widespread concerns, there are mechanisms in place for those concerns to be presented and the Competition Authority or other bodies can examine them. If the Deputy is saying that I should respond to deep suspicions when I do not have the statutory authority to do so but other Departments do, that does not appear to be a logical approach.

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