A tweet from RTÉ’s Liveline with Joe Duffy caused raised eyebrows on social media today.
“€18,703.50 to rent a car for a week,” the show tweeted, tagging Fáilte Ireland and using the RipOffRepublic hashtag.
€18,703.50 to rent a car for a week. @Failte_Ireland @ireland.com #ripoffrepublic pic.twitter.com/D8rJn3JmTb
— JOE DUFFY (@joeliveline) June 7, 2022
Even in the context of rising prices across the country this seemed extortionate. Tourists and locals alike have been complaining that the cost of car hire is becoming prohibitive and is becoming a real problem.
“Cheaper to buy a second hand one & ditch it in Dublin Airport when flying home!” said one journalist.
Cheaper to buy a second hand one & ditch it in Dublin Airport when flying home!
— Sarah-Jane Murphy (@sjanemurf) June 7, 2022
“I will chauffeur them around for the full week wherever they want to go for €10k cash,” was another response, while another noted that €12,000 could buy an apartment in Bulgaria.
— Daithí Ó Fallamháin (@DFallamhain) June 7, 2022
However, it was noted that the car posted by Liveline was at the very upper end of the market, and that cheaper options were available
so we're just making things up now
direct with Hertz and Avis, same dates, same location pic.twitter.com/QvKe9M3GJG
— Peter Hayes (@AtPeterHayes) June 7, 2022
Why stop at €18k when if you go to the last page of the search, you can get a quote for €35k?
Or, you know, you could choose the hundreds of options around €1200. Your choice pic.twitter.com/eWJn5aURaU
— sharkastic (@sharkastic) June 7, 2022
However, others noted that whether at €1400, €3000 or €18,000, car-hire in Ireland was in danger of pricing itself out of the market.
It was €3500 for a two day hire of a seven seater in June, one post noted.
2 days car hire in June pic.twitter.com/rRo0c6AyLf
— scannells bar (@scannellsbar) June 7, 2022
“This is like watching an entire industry commit Hara Kiri,” was another comment.