Limerick TD claims “gouging” is rampant in construction sector as oil price volatility hits building sites

Limerick Independend Ireland TD Richard O’Donoghue

A Limerick TD has warned that the government’s failure to support lower-income workers is threatening the fabric of local communities and undermining the broader economy.

A Limerick TD and local builder has accused suppliers of “gouging” the construction sector, warning that weekly price fluctuations for oil-based materials are driving up the cost of building homes across the region.

Independent Ireland Deputy Richard O’Donoghue, who continues to manage an active building site alongside his political role, says the local construction industry is being heavily penalised by unstable international energy markets.

The Limerick County TD explained that a vast number of vital building materials, ranging from insulation and piping to silicones, are oil-based products that immediately spike in cost whenever fuel markets fluctuate.

Deputy O’Donoghue criticised the government for failing to understand the compounding impact of fuel volatility on the construction trade, noting that transport costs are also piling pressure onto contractors.

“The price of things at the moment are fluctuating on a weekly basis,” Deputy O’Donoghue told Live 95. “And some controls outside of the state, I believe, there’s a lot of gouging going on… First thing, when you have a fluctuation in the oil, then you have a transport network cost.”

The builder-turned-politician revealed he recently challenged the Tánaiste and Minister Jack Chambers at an Oireachtas oversight committee regarding fuel price caps, but claims ministers are failing to be proactive. He argued that until the state intervenes to stabilise fuel costs, local homebuilders will continue to face unpredictable hurdles.

Independent Ireland Deputy Richard O’Donoghue argued that national policy is overly fixated on high earners and international corporations, while completely ignoring the grassroots workers who keep local areas moving.

The Limerick County TD emphasised that economic success cannot be measured solely by a spreadsheet. He pointed out that lower-paid workers often provide the vital social and community foundation that makes Limerick attractive to major employers in the first place.

“So you can have a lower earner who can actually be doing a massive thing within a community area,” Deputy O’Donoghue stated. “And that then helps us for the international businesses, for urban and rural.”

The builder-turned-politician is calling for a major shift in how the government approaches the cost of living crisis, demanding targeted relief for the ordinary workers and small enterprises that sustain both urban and rural Limerick. The Independent Ireland TD said he believes that a thriving local economy relies entirely on supporting the workers who keep small towns and villages moving.