Association representing petrol stations calls for dedicated energy minister

Fuels for Ireland said energy policy was currently dispersed across various departments, leading to 'fragmented and often ineffective strategies'

Fuels for Ireland said the role would centralise responsibility for managing Ireland’s energy needs. 

The association which represents the country’s petrol stations has called on all political parties to support the introduction of a junior minister for energy as part of their upcoming election manifestos.

Fuels for Ireland (FFI) said energy policy was currently dispersed across various departments, leading to “fragmented and often ineffective strategies”.

“This role would centralise responsibility for managing Ireland’s energy needs, ensuring a strategic approach to energy security and infrastructure development,” FFI said.

This call is part of a number of energy policy recommendations from the association in advance of an election. 

FFI said policymakers should take an “open-minded approach to technologies for decarbonisation”. These could include the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil as well as the potential of e-fuels.

It said parties should support domestic production of synthetic biofuels as well as accelerate electric car infrastructure and incentives where “significant barriers remain” such as “grid capacity constraints, high connection costs, and slow planning approvals”.

The association is also calling for the establishment of an expert group on energy taxation to find a new model of taxation on fuels as reliance on tax falls due to rising electric car use.