Fuel protesters causing gridlock in Dublin suggest more demonstrations next week

Protesters with tractors have caused gridlock in Dublin city centre over rising fuel costs caused by the war in Iran.

Several tractors were parked down O’Connell Street, and buses were seen abandoned on O’Connell Bridge, as farmers and other fuel-dependent workers blocked the Irish capital’s main road for the second day in a row.

Lines of buses were parked on the side of the city’s streets, while some of the busiest thoroughfares were empty.

There were similar protests taking place at more than 20 other locations across the country, protesters said, while chief executive of Fuels for Ireland Kevin McPartland said two depots in Foynes, Co Limerick, and in Co Galway had been “blocked by protesters”.

He said there was a risk of supply to petrol forecourts as a result.

A leaders’ meeting between Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste and finance minister Simon Harris, and Minister of State and independent TD Sean Canney was held in Government Buildings on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan met senior gardai responsible for policing the protests and warned about “consequences for unlawful activity”.

In a statement, he said the Government was aware of the pressures caused by rising costs, but emphasised that it was essential for ports and fuel depots to remain accessible.

He said: “Democracy cannot be dictated to by an unelected group whose actions are now damaging the Irish public.

“No-one is above the law and those breaking the law should know that there are consequences for unlawful activity.”

Protesters have called for a cap on kerosene and diesel, and for the carbon tax and excise duty to be removed for an interim period.

A spokesperson for the protest group in Dublin said that if protesters went home later or on Thursday, they would be back next Tuesday, when the Dail returned.

“We will hopefully go home, but the word from other groups around the country is that if they go home today or tomorrow, they’re back next Tuesday. Government is sitting next Tuesday,” James Geoghegan said.

Around two dozen protesters stood on O’Connell Bridge on Wednesday morning as a handful of tractors remained parked on O’Connell Street overnight.

There were some tense exchanges between Dubliners walking through the city’s main thoroughfare and the protesters, with one woman telling the protesters that they had the fuel to drive up to Dublin so they should drive home.

One protester was overheard saying that they had “pedestrianised” the city centre as the Green Party had wanted.

Mr Geoghegan, a spokesman for the protesters and a contractor from Co Westmeath, said they would “not go home broke”.

“We can’t go home without a result. We simply can’t afford to go home,” he told the Press Association.

“We came up broke and there’s no point going home broke.”

Asked about Dubliners who may be unhappy with the disruption, he said “the price of fuel is costing lives”.

He said: “They might be struggling, but do they realise what a struggle actually really is?

“We’re not blocking emergency services, we’re not blocking people going to hospital appointments or anything.

“We don’t want to be in anybody’s way or cause any trouble to anybody medically or cause an issue.”

He said the measures taken by the Government in March did not make a difference “worth talking about”.

“We need (the Government) to listen and act. There’s no point making a promise. Where do we cash in a promise?” he said.

Mr Geoghegan said in Spain, white diesel cost between 1.50 and 1.70 euro a litre, compared to 2.20 euro a litre in Ireland.

He said that he employs four people and his fuel bill will go up to 70,000 euro this year at current prices.

He added: “I’ve been booked to dig out foundations on two one-off single houses in the countryside, and we’d get maybe 5,000-10,000 euro to dig out of that job, which bankrolls us.

“But when we dig out the foundation, then in come the concrete lorries with concrete, that’s them making money. Then the blockers start laying blocks, that’s them making money.

“All this is putting tax into the system. Now these houses are being stopped. I’m losing work, the lads laying the blocks are going to be on the dole. It’s a domino effect.

“If the Government reduced the price of fuel and keep everybody building, keep everything working and keep the contractors in business, it’ll be far better for the economy.”

He said: “Fine Gael and Fianna Fail needn’t go back to rural Ireland ever looking for votes again, it’s as simple as that.

“The silence of the Healy-Raes is unbelievable.

“It’s an awful pity the election is so far away, if there was election in the next six months, this would be solved last night.”

Chief executive of the Dublin Chamber Mary Rose Burke said the disruption was “placing an unfair burden on businesses and workers”.

“It is neither sustainable nor proportionate,” she said.

“The most effective way to achieve meaningful progress is through constructive dialogue.

“We are urging protesters to engage with policymakers and relevant stakeholders through established channels, where their concerns can be properly heard.”

Speaking in Dublin city centre on Wednesday afternoon, Jack Wallace, from Mullingar, said he set off at 4.30am on Tuesday to join the protest.

He described the rise in the price in diesel since the war in Iran started as “colossal” and “outrageous”.

The agricultural contractor said workers like him are “not making money now” as farmers are not able to pay them higher rates, adding “there is no point working for nothing”.

He said the protesters would be “here as long as we can, as long as we have to be here”.