Petrol stretching complaints double since october

A local TD has been told that the number of motorists making complaints about petrol stretching to the Revenue Commissioners and the Gardai has doubled since mid-October.

Deputy Denis Naughten, who raised the issue in the Dáil last week, asked to be told the number of complaints about petrol stretching received by the Garda districts in counties Mayo, Roscommon-Longford, Galway and Sligo-Leitim.

He was informed that, since mid-October, Garda complaints about petrol stretching in these areas have risen from 170 to 308 and the reports to the Revenue Commissioners have risen from 31 to 72.

Denis Naughten said TDs were scheduled to meet with the Revenue Commissioners this week. At the meeting he will be pressing for steps to be taken to identify the source of the contamination of vehicles, which has resulted in the destruction of engines.

He said he would be looking for measures to ensure that this cannot happen again and would also be seeking assistance for motorists in recouping the costs associated with damage to their engines.

“While the Revenue Commissioners are progressing investigations, indications are that in the vast majority of cases there is no breach of excise legislation,” said the South Roscommon TD.

“In such instances, Revenue must make this evidence available to assist motorists in taking a possible civil action to recoup the significant cost of the damage to their cars.

“I would also plead with motorists to report their suspicions about petrol-stretching – where rogue fuel merchants add a 10% mix of kerosene home heating oil to petrol to increase profits – to both the Gardaí and Revenue.

“This information is vital to get a clear picture of what exactly happened to destroy these engines in the first place” concluded Denis Naughten.