Ireland's sky-high airport car hire prices risk damaging tourism

Using the websites of four major international car rental firms and seeking the cheapest option for a five-passenger vehicle, Dublin was the most expensive by a considerable margin. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

Visitors to Ireland face being stung for far higher car rental costs than those in a number of other top European holiday destinations, prompting fears the fees could damage tourism.

The Irish Examiner  tried to book a car for the two-week period from June 12 to June 26 from eight different airports around Europe. The results showed Dublin was the most expensive by a considerable margin.