Fuelling discontent on the streets of Cavan

Latest AA Ireland fuel price survey shows pump prices hit the highest point since the company started surveying in 1991

Spiralling fuel prices and the threat of a war with Russia may have many more mature readers thinking they've travelled back in time to the 1980s but, as petrol and diesel prices hit the highest level in decades, Cavan people told the Celt how it's impacting on their lives. Both households and businesses are coming to terms with the steep climb in the cost of living, with the price of oil having a far-reaching influence on the inflation.

The global oil market has seen a dramatic rise from $55 (€48.20) a barrel this time last year, to over $90 (€78.85) a barrel in the past week.

The latest AA Ireland fuel price survey shows pump prices hit the highest point since the company started surveying in 1991. The average retail price of petrol last month hit €1.75.5 per litre, while diesel was at €1.66.1 cent per litre.

“I always notice the price of fuel,” Joe Keenan says of the latest increases, “but what can you do? I don't over travel. I may use €30 a week, whereas now it might now be €35 a week. I am not travelling up and down to work in Dublin as many people are, but it is more money going out of your pocket.”

He says the escalating costs of fuel have knock on effects: “You double think about going on a journey now - something I wouldn't do before. It's more than just the car, it hits electricity, home heating oil, almost everything else as well.”

Joe harks back to the petrol shortages of 1979 as a result of the crisis in the Middle East that caused long delays at petrol stations in Ireland: “I worked in an oil company at the time. At one stage, we were filling cars with petrol from drums where a pump broke down, but we had a queue of cars a mile long. We had a tundish and a five gallon drum to pour it into the cars.”

The Cavan artist has a plan if the inflationary prices of fuel continue to rise. “I think I'll start oiling the bicycle again,” he laughed.

Michael Sweeney and his family were in Cavan for the day. They travelled down from Belfast, so they havenan immediate understanding of the increase in the cost of travel: “I have noticed it go up a lot in the last few weeks. I think it's having an impact on everyone. It's not just fuel, but heating the home is a big thing as well.”

Michael is sceptical about State intervention as a solution: “I'm not sure there is anything that can be done about it. Unless they can increase wages or something like that, or make some concessions on the cost of importing goods.”

With three children, Michael and his wife say essential journeys, like school and preschool runs, mean much of their expenses are inevitable: “It all racks up,” he says.

Peter Lynch pulls no punches in his assessment of the current situation. “It's a bleeding rip off, you know what I mean,” he says.

Travelling to Dublin to work, he's acutely aware of the impact the hike in fuel prices has on his family: “I am out about an extra €80 a week. With four kids that's no joke.”

Originally from Finglas but resident in Cavan for the last 15 years, Peter feels making a living has got more difficult: “Everything is going up. I thought Dublin was bad, but everything is very dear here. It's nearly better to go north to do shopping, things are cheaper there.”

For Paula Kiernan from Drumalee the rate of inflation has been dramatic: “I have noticed it going up a lot in recent weeks. I put fuel in on Friday, then put it in again on a Monday. I only go as far as the shop or work,” she tells.

She speaks of the knock on impact of the rises: “The cost of shopping seems to have gone up, I don't see my money going. It seems to be just disappearing.”

Paula does not have great faith in the prospect of political intervention: “Perhaps they need to make pay cuts to their own salary. I don't know, they are not going to listen to us anyway.”

The Irish Petrol Retailers Association point an accusatory finger at government policy. They claim that, following recent carbon tax increases, almost 65% of the pump price of petrol and diesel goes to the government.

With global tensions continuing to escalate and oil companies looking to recoup two years of depressed profits because of lockdowns, it appears the Cavan consumers are facing further inflationary increases as a barrel of Brent crude oil is set to top $100.