Petrol prices - Coalition has to ease fuel costs

With the price of petrol and diesel set to reach a record high within days, it’s time the Government gave hard-pressed motorists a break.

With food prices also on the increase, there is an onus on the Coalition to ease the financial burden on people struggling to make ends meet.

Though pampered Cabinet ministers may not realise it, the car is an essential and not a luxury for the vast majority of people. The same goes for home heating oil and gas. Undeniably, public transport is so inadequate that the car is vital for driving to and from work and for meeting other pressing demands on families up and down the country. Because of Ireland’s infamous property bubble, long-distance commuting is now the norm for tens of thousands of people, victims of uncontrolled development, poor planning and misguided policies.