Jon Lord - Exclusive!

Money is tight - pennies on the floor.

Sept 24th, 2009

Sap Gets Fleeced at the Pumps

Driver shocked at €95 cost of filling tank

By Aideen Sheehan

Friday November 09 2007

FILLING up has just got an awful lot dearer with one petrol station in the capital now charging a staggering €179.9 a litre.

The Statoil filling station on Dublin's Usher Quay (pictured above) -- long notorious for its high prices -- has now increased them to this jaw-dropping new rate.

One driver, Helen Donaghy, was staggered to be charged €95 to fill her Peugeot Convertible there, even though it normally costs her a maximum of €55 elsewhere.

"I simply could not believe it.

"I did not see a sign from the road with the price, or it may have been very small, but they should not be allowed charge prices like this," she said.

Consumers Association of Ireland Chief Dermott Jewell last night slated the price hike. "Nobody in their right mind should use this petrol station," said Mr Jewell.

However, the bad news for drivers is that petrol prices are rising across the board and are expected to hit €1.18 on
average this month.

Maxol is the first to raise prices by 3c a litre this week.

Topaz Energy which supplies Texaco, Fareplay and Statoil garages is also set to raise prices.

- Aideen Sheehan

You have to love the Indo's style of sensationalism here. I'm familiar with the petrol station on Usher's Quay and now full-well that the price of the petrol is displayed prominently on the sign fronting the garage; and on the petrol pumps themselves.

19th/May/2008 - Update : Apparently this gaff has been closed!

Dick Roche - Delivering on Affordable Housing.

In a fresh initiative to combat spiralling house prices, Dublin citizens who have been priced out on the market are now being given a chance of home ownership. The affordable housing scheme; applies to impovrished persons earning between €45,000 and €58,000 per annum who are unable to afford homes at market price. One hopeful applicant, sucessful strategic manager Geordan Sheehy-Skeffington (pictured below with BMW 7 Series and two wifes), spoke to us about the scheme.



"Roysh goys, I'm rawther miffed here. Loike, how in Gawd's name will I be able to face the goys in the Rugby club knowing I live in Loo-cun, ugh", "I suppose one must make do, afterall, one must keep his family in Prada handbags and Manlo shoes, roysh girls?" he said guffawing.

Later, in the press conference launching the inititave, Minister Dick Roche (pictured below) brushed off suggestions about those earning less than €45,000 a year who didn't qualify for the housing scheme as "inconsequential" and "pointless".



(inset, Dick Roche pouring milk into a political opponents petrol tank)