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.
Despite travel restrictions remaining in place through March 2021, clearances of unleaded petrol and autodiesel have been increasing since the beginning of the year. Clearances of unleaded petrol in March 2021 were 33.0% higher in February 2021 reflecting the increase in car traffic volumes in the same period. Despite this monthly increase, March 2021 clearance volumes of petrol were the lowest for the month of March in the 2000-2021 time period. See table 2.1 and figure 2.1.
There was an increase of 22.6% in clearances of autodiesel in March 2021 compared with February 2021. See full release Fuel excise clearances March 2021.
| Autodiesel | Petrol | |
| January | 1.9 | -5.4 |
| February | 5.3 | -1.7 |
| March | -8.9 | -22 |
| April | -55.3 | -72 |
| May | -39 | -49.5 |
| June | -16.8 | -33.3 |
| July | -5.9 | -15.6 |
| August | -8.1 | -15.1 |
| September | -2.7 | -10.7 |
| October | -13.2 | -28.7 |
| November | -16.9 | -37.7 |
| December | -2.4 | -13 |
| January | -33.7 | -51.4 |
| February | -27.8 | -45.2 |
| March | -6.8 | -17.6 |
Vehicles Licensed
Source: Department of Transport
In April 2021, 8,214 new private cars were licensed in Ireland, compared with 1,338 in April 2020 (+513.9%). However, the number of new cars licensed in April 2021 is still 40.5% lower than in April 2019. In addition, the number of used (imported) private cars licensed in April 2021 also increased considerably (+372.4%) compared with the same period in 2020. However, the number of used (imported) private cars licensed is still almost a third (2,487 vehicles) lower in April 2021 than in April 2019.
Looking at the first four months of 2021, a total of 47,506 new private cars were licensed, an increase of 4.4% compared with the same period last year. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed increased by 27.5% compared with the same period in 2020. See Vehicles licensed for the first time April 2021.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| January | 22279 | 20665 | 16948 |
| February | 14178 | 13263 | 11672 |
| March | 14404 | 10239 | 10672 |
| April | 13794 | 1338 | 8214 |
| May | 9126 | 1490 | |
| June | 3858 | 2189 | |
| July | 18741 | 15329 | |
| August | 7202 | 7360 | |
| September | 4104 | 5747 | |
| October | 3214 | 4189 | |
| November | 1676 | 1468 | |
| December | 729 | 1032 |
Road Fatalities
Source: Road Safety Authority
There were 40 fatalities on Irish roads in the first four months of 2021 compared with 53 in the same period in 2020, a drop of 24.5%. However, in April 2021 there were 19 fatalities on Irish roads compared with 7 in April 2020 (when the lockdown restrictions were most stringent).
Note: data is provisional.
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