Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1572. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which fuel prices at filling stations have been reduced in the past year commensurate with the reduction of oil prices on the international markets; if further oil price reduction is envisaged and can be passed on to the consumer such as motorist and domestic consumers of heating oil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32302/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Irish oil sector is completely privatised, liberalised and deregulated. There is free entry into the market and it is Government policy to encourage price competition and consumer choice. As such, I have no function in the setting of petrol, diesel or home heating oil prices. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC, under the aegis of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation) has a role in ensuring that the market is functioning correctly and that consumers are not being disadvantaged. Previous investigations and surveys into oil prices (available at ) that the CCPC have undertaken indicate that the price paid by consumers is largely determined by taxation levels, the internationally traded price of crude oil and the consequent price at which refined product is traded in Europe, along with the level of competition in the retail market. As oil is traded in US dollars the recent weakness of the euro has also impacted on oil prices in the euro area.

The European Commission maintains a Statistics and Market Observatory, which presents consumer prices and net prices (excluding duties and taxes) of petroleum products in EU Member States (known as the Oil Bulletin) on a weekly basis. The Oil Bulletin is designed to improve the transparency of oil prices and to strengthen the internal market. The relevant link is:

.The latest bulletin from 14 September 2015 shows that petrol prices (including taxes) in Ireland were €1.37 per litre while diesel prices (including taxes) were €1.23 per litre. Heating oil prices (including taxes) in Ireland were €640.49 per 1,000 litres. In September 2014 the comparable prices (including taxes) for Ireland were €1.57 for petrol, €1.48 for diesel and €1,038 per 1,000 litres of home heating oil. This data illustrates that the consumer has seen a reduction in oil prices over the last year.