Ireland protester willing to 'close the country' over fuel costs

A protester has said they are willing to "close the country" to get fuel costs down in the Republic of Ireland.

Kildare farmer John Dallon said the protests, which have come in response to high fuel prices caused by the US and Israeli war against Iran, could continue for "weeks".

Travel across parts of the Republic of Ireland has been affected for the fourth day in a row on Friday as vehicles, including tractors, block roads.

Dublin Airport passengers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys a day after people were seen walking with their luggage along a motorway amid ongoing road blocks due to fuel protests.

Dallon, speaking on behalf of protesters in Dublin, told Irish broadcaster RTÉ he believed the protest "could continue on".

"Maybe for another week, maybe two weeks. If it takes a month, we are prepared to sit here."

As well as blocking roads, protesters are in place at fuel terminals in Foynes in County Limerick, as well as at Galway Port and a blockade continues at the Whitegate Oil Refinery in east Cork. There is a police presence there.

Earlier Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke told RTÉ he was not aware of any gardaí (Irish police) enforcement against fuel price protesters to date.

Gardaí said on Friday they "continue to engage extensively" with protesters.

The army was asked on Thursday to remove vehicles blocking roads, with the Irish police treating protests at fuel depots as "blockades".

Irish Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon and Minister of State Timmy Dooley will meet representative bodies on Friday.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme, Dooley said there is a "clear understanding that in any democracy that you recognise the importance of a peaceful protest" but added that "some of the protesters have taken it to a new level in taking it to a blockade and that's where we really do need to see a de escalation".

He added that the blockades are affecting communities but there is no "simple solution".

The Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, said there would be "legal consequences" for some protests.

"It might not arise today or tomorrow but people have licences to drive vehicles, those licences will be affected."

Fuels for Ireland said that more than 100 garage forecourts had run out of fuel, mainly in Munster and the west of Ireland.

Its chief executive, Kevin McPartlin, told RTÉ that the number could be five times that by Friday night, adding that 50% of the country's new supply was being kept behind barricade lines.

The Irish Health Service Executive called for all approaches to medical facilities to be kept clear for people to access treatment and the President of the Irish Medical Organisation, the trade union body, Prof Matthew Sadlier said that potential missed appointments due to the blockades were having a "hugely detrimental" effect on patient welfare.

Katie Cooney travelled to the Dublin protests from County Cavan and said the price of diesel is "unreal" and if there are no farms there is "no future".

"Farms were impacted two weeks ago," she said. "It was €550, now it's up to €800 for fertiliser. Farms and contractors need support.

"I'm a student. My commute to college is going to cost 80-100 euro a week."

Mark Maguire, a farmer from the Monaghan-Fermanagh border who has been part of the protests, told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that fuel costs are unsustainable for his sector.

He added that he wants the Irish government to stop taxing fuel.

Mark Hegarty helped organise a large protest in Bridgend, County Donegal on Thursday evening, where he said "hundreds and hundreds of lorries, tractors, vans and cars" blocked the road.

Hegarty told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme he felt compelled to take part in the demonstration after the government "threatened to bring the army in on" protesters in the Irish capital.

The slow-moving convoy was on the road for more than four hours, but Hegarty said that instead of holding the protest during rush hour, it started at 19:00 local time to minimise disruption.

Parts of the the M50 north and southbound are closed.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has said road closures are "currently impacting Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Laois, Offaly, Kildare, Galway, Cork, and Dublin".

Details of all closed roads traffic disruption across Ireland can be found on the TII website.

Delivery service DPD Ireland said it will temporarily suspend services in the Republic of Ireland on Saturday.

The conflict in the Middle East has caused rapid price rises for both petrol and diesel.

Some 20% of the world's oil trade, the raw ingredient for producing both petrol and diesel, has been halted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Diesel in the Republic of Ireland has risen from about €1.70 (£1.48) a litre to €2.17 (£1.89) on many forecourts in recent weeks and petrol is now up to 25 cents more per litre at many pumps.

The protests started on Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday, truck driver Sonny Boyd said the protests were in response to the "crazy" cost of fuel.

"We need it capped," he said. "We need carbon tax to be gone. We just need the government to step in and help us because we can't do this any longer."

Meanwhile, John Dallon said on Tuesday that protesters were seeking a price cap for the diesel.