Dublin tourists could buy a car for the same price of ‘crazy’ rentals, according to the AA.
The soaring costs of car rentals in the country has recently been highlighted by a number of high-profile sources as tourists flock into the country for the summer.
At the time of writing, popular rental website CarHire.ie were renting a Hyundai Tuscon SUV, or a similar sized car, for €2782.99 from July 30 until August 6 this year.
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Drivers must also have an eligible licence for eight years before they can hire the car.
Meanwhile, a quick search of Carzone.ie by Dublin Live found a 2004 Toyota RAV4 SUV available to purchase for just an extra €200.
Supply issues are the main reasons for the spike, according to the AA.
A spokeswoman from The AA told Dublin Live: “During the pandemic, demand decreased and so too did supply because car rental companies sold most of their fleet.
“Demand has increased again now that people are back travelling, but supply has not caught up.
“It is really going to affect tourism here in Ireland – I’ve seen on social media some of the crazy quotes that people are being given.
“These are amounts that you could nearly buy a car for. Unfortunately though, these high rental prices are not likely to come down any time soon.”
US-based Irish journalist Donie O'Sullivan shared a screenshot showing that he would have to play nearly €2000 to rent a three-door Volkswagen Up for less than a week in Ireland.
The CNN star said: "Car shortage = crazy car rental costs in Ireland this Summer. This is for less than a week."
RTE journalist Barry Lenihan also shared his experience of the spiralling costs, telling Drivetime: "A white Nissan Qashqai that I rented myself in August 2020 for seven days. back then it was €360.
"The same car is available to rent today for €1,770. That’s five times the 2020 price."
Dublin Live have contacted CarHire.ie for comment.
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