Retailers have warned that fuel prices are set to rise further over the coming days due to an increase in wholesale costs.
The Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA), which represents over 1,500 retailers including 300 filling stations, said its members have been informed that the wholesale price of diesel will rise by an average of 6.99 cent per litre from midnight tonight and by a further average of 6.30 cent from midnight tomorrow night.
The CSNA said unleaded petrol will increase by an average of 3.02 cent per litre from midnight tonight and by an average of 1.8 cent from midnight tomorrow night.
CSNA President Vincent Jennings described the increases as "absolutely horrendous".
"It's a huge increase, an absolutely extraordinary increase," he added.
Mr Jennings said retailers get their prices on a daily basis, sometimes two days in advance.
Explainer: Why is diesel so expensive right now?
"So, we know what the price is going to be today and we know what the price is going to be tomorrow.
"The person who's buying 30 or 40,000 litres of fuel has to find all that additional money, and it has to be returned to him."
Mr Jennings said his members have been in business "in our communities for decades".
"We haven't all of a sudden become greedy.
"We just take the price that is given to us and put it on accordingly.
"We're not the makers of the price. The makers of the price are the people who are supplying it to us."
Hauliers pause protest threat as Govt considers supports
The warning of further fuel price increases comes after hauliers said that the threat of immediate protest action is "off the table" for now while the Government considers measures to address rising fuel costs.
A delegation from the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) held talks with Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien in Dublin this morning.
IRHA President Ger Hyland said he was satisfied from the meeting that there is going to be "substantial support" announced for the sector next week.
Hauliers are seeking "emergency measures" to address the recent rapid rise in fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Mr Hyland said there is going to be ongoing discussions over the weekend and he said in the meantime, any protest action is "off the table until Tuesday evening".
"Our members are calling for action, so unless we have something to bring to our members worthwhile, next Tuesday, there will be action."
Mr O'Brien described the meeting as "constructive and cordial".
"They, in a very articulate way, put forward the serious challenges that their sector is having," he told RTÉ's News at One.
"It's a sector that's obviously critical to our supply chains and to our economy," he said.
The minister said that he "heard them [hauliers] out" and "assured" them that the Government was looking at "various options" and "will be bringing supports forward as part of an overall package that will go the Cabinet on Tuesday".
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Earlier, speaking after the meeting, Mr O'Brien ruled out any temporary suspension of the carbon tax increase.
However, he said that measures under consideration include a reduction in excise duty on fuel or an excise rebate.
"We are looking at a package in the round as well. It's not just one sector, but I think everyone would understand the importance of the haulage sector and also the level of increases in costs that they have borne over the last three weeks, and whatever we bring forward will require flexibility," he added.
Prices at the pumps on many forecourts have surpassed €2 for a litre of diesel and are close to €2 for a litre of unleaded petrol.
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'Immediate intervention' needed - Fuels for Ireland
Fuels for Ireland said that hauliers "are in real trouble" but households are also "really suffering from the high cost of transport fuel, but also home heating oil."
"We do need an immediate intervention," the industry representative group said.
However, Chief Executive Kevin McPartlan said he agreed with Minister Harris that Ireland "needs to move away from knee-jerk responses".
"We need to look at a comprehensive review of all of the taxation and the compliance costs that go into making sure that Ireland has one of the highest fuel prices.
"We need to make sure the Government gets a fair take, but we need to ensure that it remains affordable, because nobody gets up this morning and decides whether they're going to drive the kids to school, or whether they're going to go to work, or whether a business is going to deliver its product based on the price of fuel," Mr McPartlan told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
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Retailers association warns of further fuel price increases
