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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 unleaded petrol in May 2021 were nearly 50% higher than the level in May 2020 indicating a substantial increase in car traffic relative to the levels at the start of the pandemic. Despite the increase, May 2021 clearance volumes of petrol were still 24% below May 2019.

There was a large increase of 47% for clearances of autodiesel in May 2021 compared with the levels in May 2020. Similar to petrol, levels of autodiesel have not reached pre-pandemic figures, as May 2021 clearance volumes were 11% below May 2019. See table 2.1 and figure 2.1.

See full release Fuel excise clearances May 2021.

Autodiesel 2019Autodiesel 2020Autodiesel 2021Petrol 2019Petrol 2020Petrol 2021
January 292298197837938
February281295213787742
March308281262886856
April312139273912565
May325198290934770
June2982488758
July3162979278
August3082839076
September3083008777
October3232808762
November3162628453
December2932868372
Table 2.1 Monthly excise clearances of autodiesel and unleaded petrol (million litres)

Vehicles Licensed

Source: Department of Transport

In the first half of 2021, a total of 59,823 new private cars were licensed, an increase of 21.6% compared with the same period last year but still 22.9% lower than in 2019. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed increased by 50.3% compared with the same period in 2020 and is still 22.7% lower when compared to 2019.

Figures for new cars licensed rose above 2019 levels for the first time this year. In June 2021, 4,980 new private cars were licensed in Ireland, compared with 2,189 in June 2020. The number of new cars licensed in June 2021 is 29.1% higher than June 2019 when 3,858 cars were licensed. 

The number of used (imported) private cars licensed rose from 3,738 in June 2020 to 5,900 in June 2021. However, the number of used (imported) private cars licensed is still 2,098 vehicles lower in June 2021 than in June 2019. See Vehicles licensed for the first time June 2021.

201920202021
January222792066516948
February141781326311672
March144041023910672
April1379413388214
May912614907337
June385821894980
July1874115329
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 58 fatalities on Irish roads in the first half of 2021 compared with 71 in the same period in 2020, a drop of 18.3%. In June 2021 there were 11 fatalities on Irish roads compared with 12 in June 2020.

Note: data is provisional.

Table 2.3 Number of road fatalities per month

Go to next chapter >>>  Public and Other Transport

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