Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Irish consumers are the most ripped-off in Europe in terms of fuel prices, including petrol, diesel and home heating oil. The European Commission recently reported that petrol prices in this State are 11% higher than the European average, diesel prices are 20% higher and home heating oil is 13% more expensive.

The Minister referred to the explanation by the wholesale and retail oil businesses that when prices go down, they cannot follow because they have purchased their oil stocks at the higher rate. Why does this not happen in reverse? That was the question asked by every caller to a recent episode of Joe Duffy's radio programme. Callers referred to the outrageous prices charged throughout the State — as high as €1.29 or €1.30 per litre of petrol — at the same time as the price of oil was plunging to $60 per barrel. Does the Minister agree there is a fundamental problem in this regard?

The Minister referred me to his colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. I do not know whether the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, bothers to read the minutes of meetings of the Joint Committee on Transport. If he read the minutes of a recent meeting, he would know that Mr. Bill Prasifka, the chairman of the Competition Authority, told the committee that he has no power to order a forensic study of a business such as the oil industry. He does not have that power because everything is couched in terms of the criminal law. If he orders an investigation, he might prejudice a criminal case. Does the Minister agree, therefore, that the legislation underpinning the Competition Authority is fundamentally flawed? The Minister is standing idly by as consumers are ripped off.

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