Further measures to be considered at key meeting with representatives as fuel price protests enter fourth day
Further measures to cut fuel costs to be considered, says minister
Government to meet with representative groups of farmers, contractors and hauliers
Blockades remain in place at refineries at Whitegate in East Cork, Foynes in Limerick and Galway Harbour
Public transport expected to be disrupted for the day with roads closed and bus routes cancelled
Up to 200 garages could be without petrol and diesel on Friday
Fuel price cap ruled out
10am: The enterprise minister ruled out introducing any kind of fuel cap on petrol, diesel or green diesel, saying it would “take a wrecking ball” to the public finances.“A cap has been tried out in many countries and, again, you have to always look at the evidence here,” Peter Burke said, speaking on RTÉ Radio.“When you look at where the cap was tried out. In Argentina, in Egypt, in Pakistan, one common thread happened after it. The IMF were called in to each of those countries.“What a cap will do is take a wrecking ball to our public finances. It will put the bill on the taxpayers, take it from the forecourt and put it on to our debt, on the back of every citizen in our country.“We will not be able to sustain it.” Pressed that other EU countries have introduced fuel price caps and IMF bailouts were not required, Mr Burke said it was still early.Refinery blockade latest
9.30am: Gardaí have been in animated discussions with protesters at the blockade outside Whitegate oil refinery this morning.Approximately 100 protesters are present with more than 20 trucks, tractors and other vehicles at the site. Cork forecourts stopped in by the Irish Examiner had no diesel left after 8am but still had some limited petrol supplies.Industry experts have warned that hundreds of forecourts will have no diesel or petrol left by tonight if the blockades are not lifted soon.Protestors say that approximately 200 people were at the Whitegate blockade until 2am. Protesters then took it in shifts to stay at the protest overnight.The scene at the entrance to the Irving oil refinery in Whitegate where a large number of protesters gathered and formed a blockade at the entrance to the oil refinery. Picture: by Noel SweeneyA spokesperson for protesters at Foynes Port in County Limerick said they would open the port today for feed and for five loads of fuel for frontline workers and hospitals.Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Neilus O’Connor said protesters had let chemicals needed by Uisce Eireann through their blockade on Thursday.Asked if the protest would end if they had a meeting with Government, he said: “We will wait until we see the results of that meeting, and then we’ll decide where we go from there.”Gardai say “critical deliveries” left Rosslare Europort overnight after “positive and constructive engagement with local protestors” during the fuel demonstrations.An Garda Siochana posted on social media showing a number of trucks and lorries being escorted from the port by a Garda car.The force wrote: “An Garda Siochana has and continues to engage extensively with those taking part in fuel protests across the country to facilitate peaceful protest while protecting public safety.”Further measures considered
8.45am: The Government will consider further measures to ease fuel costs at a key meeting with representative organisations, the Social Protection Minister has said.Dara Calleary signalled there would be further measures put on the table at Friday’s talks, amid protests which have left cities and motorways gridlocked, and fuel running out in parts of the country.“The important thing of it is that the meeting today will focus on the issues that are causing this,” Mr Calleary said, speaking on Morning Ireland on Friday.Taoiseach Micheál Martin speaking to the media after his visit to Campus Iosagain, Ballyvourney, Co. Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.“It will focus on putting proposals on the table in relation to the price increases, in relation to the fuel price increases that are causing this.“We want to engage around those proposals.” He said there was engagement with representative organisations on the matter last week, but that any proposals would need to be “rigorously tested”.“You cannot have a situation where fuel is blockaded.” Asked about a possible cap on green diesel, Mr Calleary said when the UK Government sought to introduce an energy cap in 2022, it had “disastrous outcomes” for the then-British Prime Minister Liz Truss.“We are a very small market, so we have to look at the consequences, intended or unintended, of every proposal.” He said the Government has shown it is open to more measures, citing the €250m package to cut excise on petrol and diesel last month.Mr Calleary said the Government could not provide new measures while there are blockades.Amid confusion about whether the protesters would attend the meeting, after spokesperson James Geoghegan said they had been invited last night, Mr Calleary said the meeting would be with representative bodies.He said the Government is “not dictating” who they can bring as their representatives.Asked if they would speak with them if they were at the talks, Mr Calleary said: “If they’re at the talks with the representative organisations, absolutely.” However, he said the Government’s wider position on direct talks with the protesters had not changed.Government to meet groups
8am: The government is set to meet with representative groups of farmers, agricultural contractors, and the haulage industry this afternoon, as the nationwide fuel protests enter day four.There has been no confirmation that representatives of the protesters will join the meeting, despite a suggestion last night that they had been invited to do so.The Irish Examiner understands that the Irish Road Haulage Association, ICMSA, INHFA, IFA, Macra, Ibec, ICOS, IGG, FCI and IGFA have been invited to a meeting with Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon. One government source said there were no protesters on the list. When asked if one of the groups could bring the protesters in, the source said they did not think that would be allowed.A man sits in a tractor wheel as vehicles are parked on O'Connell Street in Dublin as protestors take part in a National Fuel Protest against rising fuel prices. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA WireOne of the fuel protest organisers has suggested that the Government has agreed to meet protesters on Friday afternoon.Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time, James Geoghegan said protests on O'Connell Street have been pared back as a result of the meeting at Government Buildings.However, Minister of State Timmy Dooley said the meeting is with representative groups such as the Irish Farmers Association (IFA)."My very clear information is that those who have been invited are those that we are already engaged with, who are the representative bodies," Mr Dooley said."Who they choose to bring with them is a matter for those representative bodies."I have no knowledge of the information that James Geoghegan has."A Government spokesperson said: "The Government will continue to engage with official representative bodies. That will continue tomorrow."Fuel disruption
7.15am: Blockades remain in place at fuel terminals in Foynes, Co Limerick, Galway Harbour, as well as at the Whitegate Oil Refinery in east Cork.At Whitegate, a significant presence of protesters remains on site, alongside a garda presence.Joe Maloney who joined the protest outside the Irving oil refinery on behalf of his wife who is a bus driver. Picture: Noel SweeneyAccording to RTÉ, there were no signs of the army as of Thursday night or Friday morning, with protesters suggesting that things may escalate if the Defence Forces show up.The protesters allowed workers to enter the refinery on Friday morning, and also let a tanker carrying kerosene leave, saying home fuel should not be affected and is not part of the fuel price protests.Up to 200 forecourts will be dry of petrol and diesel on Friday if fuel trucks are not able to access those depots.On Thursday, thousands of people flocked to stations that still had fuel to panic buy ahead of the weekend. As long lines of cars formed outside their forecourts, many stations restricted the amount customers could buy to €50.Concerns are now growing in the Government about the availability of medicines, animal feed, and food supplies.Busy forecourt as motorists fill up at Top service Station, South City Link Road, Cork. Picture: Larry CumminsGovernment officials said that while there are robust fuel supplies in the country, the current situation is “solely a distribution issue that can be alleviated by ending blockades and restoring access for delivery vehicles”.The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) warned there is now “serious concern” about fuel supplies for ambulances and other emergency services due to the blockades, "and this may have consequent impacts on the availability of some services should the disruption continue”.“A NECG sub-group has been established to focus on the specific impacts on the emergency services fleet and to consider possible contingencies.” The HSE said the delivery of key medicines and medical devices could be disrupted and highlighted impacts on appointments, home care, dialysis, and cancer services.Transport disruption
7am: Further road closures are as follows:
In Tipperary, the northbound M8/N8 at Cashel has been closed due to blockades.
In Castletroy, Co Limerick, the M7/N7 going westbound has been closed off.
The Dock Road and the end of M18/N18 near Limerick.
Parts of the M18/N18 between Newmarket-on-Fergus and Ennis.
The M7/N7 going eastbound between Portlaoise and Ballybrittas.
Parts of the M50 in Dublin.
There was no sign on Thursday night of the blockades being lifted, despite Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan saying he had discussed “measures in place to address disruption” with gardaí and the Defence Forces.Traffic from the port at Ringaskiddy was stopped and commuters and buses travelling to and from Carrigaline experienced significant delays. Picture: Larry Cummins 5pm Wednesday.Mr O’Callaghan appealed to protesters to lift their blockades and warned that the Defence Forces “remain on standby” to move demonstrations blocking critical infrastructure.Bus Éireann cancellations:
A number of services across Cork city and surrounding areas may experience disruptions and delays on Friday.
Route 257: The 6.40am Millstreet to Macroom and the 7.25am Macroom to Killarney have been cancelled.
The 226X Kinsale to MTU bus at 7.30am has also been cancelled.
In the east, all services to Rosslare Europort on the 101X have been suspended until further notice and will instead begin and end at Wexford Train Station.
Expressway diversions include:
Route 2: Dublin Airport to Wexford will operate via the N11 and East Link, missing Busáras.
Route 4: Dublin Airport to Waterford will divert through Heuston Station.
Route 22 (Ballina/Sligo) will miss Heuston Station and Busáras.
Routes 30 (Donegal) and 32 (Letterkenny) will miss Busáras but operate from Dublin Airport.
Cork hit bad
6.30am: Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels for Ireland, warned that 200 garages will have no diesel and petrol on Friday if protests in Cork, Galway, and Limerick do not end rapidly. Anthony Hosford queued for approx 30 minutes to fill up with unleaded petrol. Picture: Larry CumminsSome 100 forecourts were already dry on Thursday evening, with shortages most acute in Munster and along the west coast.Cork was “particularly badly hit”, Mr McPartlan said.Mr O’Callaghan confirmed gardaí have requested Defence Forces assistance to prevent blockades of critical infrastructure.“Large vehicles blocking critical infrastructure will be removed,” he said.He warned protesters there “will be legal consequences”.“But people have licences to drive vehicles. Those licences will be affected,” he said.“In terms of any insurance coverage, I suspect, will be void as a result of the owner of the equipment deciding to voluntarily get involved in such illegal activity.” He urged protesters to stop, saying:“They've made their point. Government has heard the point that they've made, but it's now clearly the case that considerable damage has been inflicted to Irish people and to the Irish economy, and I'd ask them to stop their protests.”
- additional reporting from PA
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