Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support the comments made by my colleagues, Deputies Michael McGrath and Naughten. The Minister of State will not be surprised to see me on my feet again speaking about petrol stretching. There is an issue of confidence around petrol supply. Legitimate retailers who employ people and go through all the necessary steps are being hit in the same way as those who have caused this situation to happen. Given that 57% of every litre of fuel goes back to the Exchequer through tax, the Department of Finance and the Revenue Commissioners have a duty to restore confidence to the retail fuel market.

Diesel laundering has been an issue in this country for many years. I welcome the initiatives in that respect that have been taken by Revenue because there is no doubt such practice has been used to fund illicit activities, attacks on the State etc. As Deputy Naughten has laid out, we now need urgently to tackle the problem of petrol stretching but there is no sign of such urgency. It is August since this problem first came to light and we are no further on in terms of the public seeing a response or outcome to the investigations. I emphasise the damage that has been caused in an area stretching from County Mayo to County Roscommon up as far as County Meath. This has caused people inconvenience socially and in respect of their family life and also financial damage but people do not see any response to tackling it. If they went out with green diesel in their car in the morning, Revenue would be down on them like a tonne of bricks testing them. Some people have been left with two cars in the yard that they cannot use because they went in good faith to buy petrol from a legitimate and branded operator, like we all do, and they are now suffering the consequences but they do not see anybody responding to their situation. The Minister, the Revenue Commissioners and Customs and Excise have a duty to restore confidence in our retail fuel market because if they do not, they will drive more people to the illicit operators.

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