Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to raise the serious issue of rising prices. Consumers, businesses, farmers and fishermen have experienced and are experiencing a massive increase in the price of diesel, petrol and home heating oil. I was disappointed to hear the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, say recently that people who complained about these price increases were whingeing. It is easy to dismiss such views as complaining when one is being driven around in a State car for which one does not have to fork out €100 for a fill of diesel on a regular basis. There are innumerable examples of commuters, hauliers, fishermen and others who have been screwed to the ground by these cost increases in petrol and diesel. The cost for a fill of home heating oil is now €1,000.

These costs come on top of other price increases, relatively stagnant incomes, the rising cost of doing business, the loss of competitiveness and increasing mortgage repayments. In the year to May 2008, the average price of unleaded petrol rose from €1.16 to €1.25 per litre. Five years ago, the price was 86 cent per litre. The increase in diesel prices has been even more dramatic, with the average price per litre increasing from €1.09 in May 2007 to €1.32 this year, an increase of 23 cent. Five years ago, the price of a litre of diesel was 78.2 cent per litre.

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