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Fuel, Vehicles and Safety

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Fuel excise clearances

Source: Office of the Revenue Commissioners

The Revenue Commissioners collect statistics on the volumes of fuel clearances covered by excise taxes. Clearances reflect the excise duties paid on oil removed from tax warehouses. Clearances data provide a proxy for sales and the associated level of consumption but do not reflect actual consumption per se. 

Clearances of autodiesel in June 2021 were 2% higher than in June 2019. The June 2021 autodiesel figure is the highest June figure in the 2000-2021 time series and was 23% higher than the level in June 2020.

There was a large increase of 36% for clearances of petrol in June 2021 compared with the levels in June 2020. June 2021 petrol clearance volumes were 9% below June 2019. See table 2.1 and figure 2.1.

See full release Fuel Excise Clearances June 2021.

Autodiesel 2019Autodiesel 2020Autodiesel 2021Petrol 2019Petrol 2020Petrol 2021
January 292298197837938
February281295213787742
March308281262886856
April312139273912565
May325198290934770
June298248304875879
July31629709278
August30828309076
September30830008777
October32328008762
November31626208453
December29328608372
Table 2.1 Monthly excise clearances of autodiesel and unleaded petrol (million litres)

Vehicles Licensed

Source: Department of Transport

In July 2021, 20,232 new private cars were licensed in Ireland, compared with 15,329 in July 2020, an increase of 32.0%. This compares with 18,741 new private cars licensed in July 2019.

In addition, the number of used (imported) private cars licensed fell from 8,275 in July 2020 to 5,590 in July 2021. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed is still 3,613 vehicles lower in July 2021 than in July 2019.

Looking at the first seven months of 2021, a total of 80,055 new private cars were licensed, an increase of 24.1% compared with the same period last year. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed increased by 30.7% compared with the same period in 2020. See Vehicles licensed for the first time July 2021.

201920202021
January222792066516948
February141781326311672
March144041023910672
April1379413388214
May912614907337
June385821894980
July187411532920232
August72027360
September41045747
October32144189
November16761468
December7291032
Table 2.2 Number of private cars licensed for the first time

Road Fatalities

Source: Road Safety Authority

There were 75 fatalities on Irish roads in the first seven months of 2021 compared with 81 in the same period in 2020, a drop of 7.4%. In July 2021 there were 17 fatalities on Irish roads compared with 10 in July 2020.

Note: data is provisional.

Table 2.3 Number of road fatalities per month

Go to next chapter >>>  Public and Other Transport