Irish consumers are being urged to report “cartel-like behaviour” by businesses with regards to rising fuel prices.
Independent TD for Laois Offaly, Carol Nolan, has said that she has written to The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and the Minister of State with responsibility for consumer protection, Robert Troy, following a number of concerns she has received about potential instances of so-called price-gouging practices by fuel companies and service stations.
It comes as the Minister of State – who has responsibility for Consumer Protection – encouraged people to report “cartel behaviour or abuse of dominance” in relation to soaring fuel costs on Thursday morning (10 March).
Deputy Nolan went on to say that the Ukrainian crisis cannot be used as a pretext by either public or private bodies to artificially inflate prices, beyond the expected levels of volatility, in order to maximise profits during a time of international and domestic crisis:
“At the moment all that we have is anecdotal data about the practices that some fuel companies are engaging in. That is why need a robust and transparent mechanism put in place to ensure that we can gather the kind of information we need to determine if issues of this kind-such as the jacking up of petrol and diesel prices are taking place at any kind of systematic level,” Deputy Nolan said.
“The CCPC has already notified us that it does not have a role in monitoring price increases in the market, but that if businesses are seen to be colluding in fixing prices, then this equates to cartel behaviour and the CCPC can investigate and refer a case to the DPP for criminal prosecution.
“Unfortunately, we know all too well in rural Ireland that de facto cartel-like behaviours already exist in the meat factory sector. We cannot allow that to be replicated within the fuel sector here.
“I am therefore calling on Minister Troy to make it clear as a matter of urgency that he will not tolerate any move, however incremental, toward the emergence of abhorrent price fixing practices when it comes to fuel and energy supplies,” concluded Deputy Nolan.
Deputy Nolan’s comments today come as Ireland’s largest fuel and convenience brand Circle K Ireland “categorically” denied that a recent increase in its prices of diesel and petrol was related to the recent cuts.
“Our pricing is set in line with local and international market movements and wholesale market costs,” the chain, which has 420 service stations nationwide, said.
“This was the case today and the same process is adhered to anytime there are price changes,” the company said on Friday.