Concerns about rising home heating and motor fuel costs were evident among shoppers on Shop Street in Galway today, as fresh price increases continue to place pressure on household budgets.
While incremental hikes in petrol and diesel prices at garage forecourts have already been noted, it is the sharp surge in kerosene prices since the weekend that has caused particular alarm.
Speaking to RTÉ, Local businessman Mike Lally described the recent increases as “ridiculous,” outlining how dramatically prices shifted in just over a day. Referring to a screengrab on his phone, he explained how he priced oil for his mother’s tank on Monday evening and then checked again 36 hours later.
"The night before last I priced it, and it was €1,180.
"Last night it was €1,380 and today, less than ten hours later, it has gone up €500, to €1,850," he said.
"It’s mad, and I can see at the pumps, diesel’s gone up, petrol’s gone up, people won’t be able to afford home heating oil.
"Overnight gone up €500 - how can they justify that? It’s crazy," he added.
In Co Laois, farmer John Joe Grennan said he has been somewhat shielded from home heating oil increases by burning wood and timber. However, he warned that rising diesel prices will directly affect his farming operations.
"I rang yesterday looking for diesel and it was gone up, I think, ten cent a litre already, since the weekend, that’s ridiculous - it’s going to leave [agricultural] contractors in a very bad way after a while," he said.
Mr Grennan argued that the Government "is doing nothing for the ordinary person" and expressed little confidence in assurances from senior Coalition figures that price gouging will not be tolerated.
Helena Donoghue, from the Newcastle area of Galway, echoed those concerns. She said the Government should intervene more directly with fuel suppliers.
"Bring them in, sit them down and say, 'Why are these prices going up all the time?’ And say: ‘No, put a stop on it.’ That they can say that. They can bring down the prices and have it there level for a while."
Ms Donoghue warned that unchecked increases could force families into debt.
Meanwhile, Christopher Connolly from Ballinlough, Co Roscommon, said his lengthy daily commute leaves him bracing for further increases, noting that instability in the Middle East typically drives oil prices higher.
"It’s going to hit the pocket I’d imagine," he said.
"I think it’s a concern for everybody, in the current climate, we all know the price of everything. The cost of housing, the cost of groceries. Now, to have fuel prices going up on top of it, it’s a huge concern for everybody."
Lloyd Wright, originally from the US and now living in Oughterard, Co Galway, took a more philosophical view.
"The price of fuel comes up and it comes down. This will get resolved eventually in the Middle East and that will be how it goes," he said.
Mr Wright says he is not "a Trump fan" but feels the US President "will make sure this ends somehow because the Republicans will want to hold on to power in the States and if it doesn’t go well, they won’t be in power anymore and we’ll give the Democrats a chance to fix things over there".
