Ireland extends fuel excise duty cuts until February

The Irish Government has announced an extension of fuel excise duty cuts, delaying planned increases in petrol and diesel costs until February. This decision has drawn criticism from industry representatives and political opposition.

Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels Ireland, criticized the move as being based on “hope and guesswork rather than information and analysis.” He argued that the government is using an “ad hoc approach” and lacks a clear basis for selecting November or February as the timeline for phasing out the cuts, noting that international commodity prices have continued to rise.

Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty described the extension as “just not acceptable,” accusing the government of attempting to “kick the can down the road” by scheduling the price increases for a period when the Dáil is not sitting to avoid political pressure.