From midnight tonight, motorists face a rise in the cost of refueling their vehicles as the latest hike in excise rates comes into force.
The cost of petrol will increase by 7c per litre, with diesel going up by 5c. Agricultural diesel will rise by 1c.
This is the second of three increases which will unwind a reduction introduced last year to combat soaring prices in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
For many people their car is their life. With no realistic transport alternatives, it is vital for their families, vital for their work and for their personal lives.
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So when fuel costs rise, the impact is immediate, and this latest rise feels harsh to many.
In Donegal today drivers, who are already smarting at the high cost of fuel, were coming to terms with these latest hikes.
"I know it will have a huge impact, especially on those people who can’t afford it and they’re struggling to get to work and with the cost of living," one woman told me.
Filling her diesel car early this morning on the forecourt of the TJ Hughes service station at the Donegal-Fermanagh border, she explained that, as she regularly covers substantial distances, she is really feeling the impact of rising prices.
"I commute for work and travel quite a lot. I could be in Dublin some weeks and up in Belfast other weeks so I can definitely feel it… it's going to cost me €60 to get up and down to Dublin now."
Other workers fueling up their vans this morning included an electrician, who said that he was filling up to avoid the excise hike.
"I heard the price of diesel was going up again tonight, that’s simply the reason I’m filling her up now. It's getting very dear," he said.
"When you are trying to run a vehicle everyday getting to work and that, it's expensive now. The ordinary man is feeling it."
Parents, always kept very busy, are also upset at the increases.
"I just think it's the wrong time of year to be at this again, you know?" said another motorist. "The kids are back to school, winter's coming. This is the time of the year people are putting heating oil in."
"It's very unfair on people, asking them to fork out extra money. It's the wrong time of year and could be held off. There is a lot of uncertainty now in world markets too, and the Government just needs to hold back for now."
During the week, Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said that tonight's excise increase was "locked in".
But the minister said that he would keep October's planned hike "under review".
Motorists will also likely be watching that space.
Read more: Motorists facing hike in petrol and diesel prices
