With the price of diesel now past €2.20 a litre, filling stations have been told by wholesalers that further increases are imminent. In enterprises that are heavily dependent on diesel the fear is that it will hit €2.50 before there is any intervention by the government: or else, rationing is a possibility. Govt Ministers have kept using the mantra about the huge benefits that social welfare recipients and the low paid sector were given in Budget 2026. However, as with most government spin, the reality is different. Kevin Callinan, General Secretary of Forsa and chief negotiator in the talks for the new wage agreement said that research has revealed that the average household had already lost two per cent of disposable income in the budget. The big winner on the fuel increases is the Exchequer earning multi-millions of Euros at the expense of people’s hard earned money. This is likely to be the first Irish casualty of the war in Iran. No doubt about it. Rip off Ireland’s fuel prices will spike inflation and food prices will see a steep rise across all aisles in the supermarkets. It is inevitable that jobs will be lost while the Government is caught in the headlights.
