Fuel providers receiving death threats over 'price gouging'
The chief executive of the lobbying group for fuel providers in Ireland has received death threats in the past several days over increased prices, saying that some cited the Taoiseach’s comment that price gouging was unacceptable.
Kevin McPartlan, along with other industry representatives, is set to meet with Enterprise Minister Peter Burke today to discuss increases in the price of home heating oil and motor fuels.
The Government and opposition figures have been highly critical of what they called ‘price gouging’ in recent days by fuel providers, with the matter dominating Leaders’ Questions throughout the week.
Kevin McPartlan, along with other industry representatives, is set to meet with Enterprise Minister Peter Burke (Pictured) today. Pic: ©Fran Veale
However, Mr McPartlan has hit back strongly at the criticisms from Government and opposition, saying that many providers had kept their margins razor-thin in an attempt not to pass on costs to the customers after ‘reputational damage’ had been done to the sector by ‘loose talk from Government ministers’.
‘There’s a huge amount of frustration and it’s beyond frustration. It’s a concern. When the Taoiseach made remarks about price gouging, the level of threatening and abusive behaviour that was experienced by staff in forecourts and customer service centres for fuel oil orders ratcheted up,’ he said.
‘And I can speak from personal experience… a couple of the death threats that I have had the last few days, specifically in reference to the Taoiseach saying that we’re price gouging. It’s not just frustration, it’s real concern.’
The chief executive of the lobbying group for fuel providers in Ireland has received death threats in the past several days over increased prices. Pic: Shutterstock
Earlier this week, Mr Martin had said: ‘There is no excuse for prices going up at the pump yesterday or indeed anywhere, as our oil is coming from the North Sea.’
Mr McPartlan said it was incorrect to link the price of crude oil to the prices at filling stations and for home heating oil, saying it was like McDonald’s increasing the price of its burgers due to an increase in the price of beef.
He said that home heating oil providers had received 20 times the usual number of orders and were running out of stock. He said those providers had stocks that lasted only one or two days, not weeks or months.
He also said the last time the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission investigated the sector, it had exonerated it from claims of price gouging.
He said: ‘All this talk of price gouging, of profiteering, it’s not only untrue, it’s easily demonstrably untrue.’
Mr McPartlan’s comments come ahead of his meeting with Mr Burke. However, the minister warned the public not to expect a ‘big bang’ outcome from the meeting.
