State increased fossil fuel subsidies to almost €5bn in 2023

Statistician Clare O’Hara said that consumers buying petrol paid an average effective rate of €225 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted in 2023, an increase of €5 per tonne on 2022. File picture: iStock

The Irish State subsidised fossil fuels to the tune of almost €5bn in 2023, latest figures have revealed.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) data showed that fossil fuel subsidies in Ireland have climbed significantly in the wake of the war in the Ukraine as the Government introduced measures to slash energy and fuel costs for consumers.