Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
402. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport the way in which his Department will ensure that recent excise duty cuts to the cost of petrol and diesel will be passed on to end consumers; if his Department has mechanisms to monitor whether these excise duty cuts are being passed on to end consumers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28436/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo support the haulage and coach sector, the Government will be establishing a new Road Transporters Support Scheme (RTSS), which will be delivered by my Department. This will be modelled on the Licenced Haulage Support Schemes of 2022 and 2023 deployed to assist the sector with the higher fuel prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The RTSS will provide direct payments to the haulage and coach operators. Payments will be graduated, with smaller businesses receiving a proportionately greater level of support. An initial payment backdated for March 2026 will made to each qualifying haulage or coach operator. The scheme will remain in place for three months. Payments will be made for April and May, if the national average price of diesel exceeds €1.90 per litre in the month.
The Department of Transport is not responsible for the monitoring of the general excise duty cuts on petrol, diesel and green diesel announced as part of the package of fuel relief supports announced on 12th April 2026.
Earlier this month, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) published a report on consumer complaints about home heating oil and road fuel prices. The report found that recent price increases were not due to competition issues in the market. I would advise any consumers with specific concerns to report them to the CCPC.
