Whitegate and AA insist no panic buying is needed

Motorists have been assured by the Automobile Association, the Whitegate refinery in Co Cork and the oil companies that there is no need for panic buying of petrol at filling stations.

The AA said that while tomorrow's planned protests by road hauliers would no doubt prove disruptive, it did not appear that supplies to service stations would be interrupted, "and there is no immediate prospect of fuel shortages".

The AA's public affairs manager, Mr Conor Faughnan, said that petrol shortages in the UK were caused "not so much by the protests as by motorists panic buying. We do not need to repeat those scenes here."

In Dublin, as some fuel stations ran out of petrol yesterday, the oil companies said additional supplies would not present a problem.

Mr Paddy Gallagher of Texaco said there was some evidence of "consumer-driven panic" which, he said, was not supported by the situation. "If they are going to stretch us with demand we will continue to get it out," he said.

Representatives of the other main oil companies agreed that there was no need for motorists to be concerned.

There was anecdotal evidence of people stockpiling petrol, according to Ms Martina Byrne of Statoil. Some people were bringing four-gallon cans to petrol stations, but Statoil had taken extra steps in the past week to ensure that all stations were topped up.

No difficulty in getting additional deliveries to the stations was envisaged, she added.

The Whitegate refinery issued a statement saying it was aware of no threat to crude oil deliveries, and took issue with media speculation.

A representative of Rabbitte Oil Distributors in Galway said the only danger was that a shortage of fuel could be caused by people panic buying.

Home heating oil was in great demand, she said, and people who normally spent only £50 to £100 at this time of year were looking for a full tank. "It is crazy. It is still arriving by ship," she added.