Irish police push back fuel protesters at oil refinery
Protesters at an oil refinery in the Republic of Ireland have been pushed back by gardaí (Irish police) using pepper spray, in an operation supported by the Irish Defence Forces. The protesters had been blockading Whitegate Refinery in County Cork as part of demonstrations against high fuel prices, but fuel trucks have since regained access to the site. Gardaí were brought in to move large tractors that had been blocking the entrance and fuel tankers were once again able to access the site.
Hundreds of petrol stations in the country have run out of fuel as the protests – involving slow-moving convoys made up of vehicles including tractors – continue for a fifth day Blockades at fuel depots in counties Limerick and Galway are continuing. Footage posted by gardaí on Saturday afternoon showed them escorting oil tankers leaving Whitegate after they restored access to the refinery. Fuels for Ireland, which represents companies that import, distribute, and sell fuel, said that it hoped to be able to get more than 20 oil trucks into the refinery on Saturday, including seven which access it earlier.
It earlier warned two-thirds of petrol stations in Ireland would be out of stock by the end of Saturday if the blockades at the fuel-storage facilities continued. The Irish government confirmed a fuel support package was being finalised after what it described as "constructive engagement" with representatives of the haulage and farming sectors. The package will include a temporary Fuel Support Scheme aimed at the haulage, agri-business and contractor sectors.
Meetings between government ministers and representatives of farmers and hauliers to finalise a new government package of fuel supports are taking place on Saturday. The blockade of parts of Dublin city centre is continuing, with O'Connell Street and South Quay closed to traffic. Other disruption includes: There has been a warning that ships could soon be turned away from Rosslare Europort in County Wexford due to capacity issues.
Protesters have set up a blockade at the nearby village of Kilrane about a mile from the port. A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) said the situation could come to a head late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning Public transport has also been affected, with some services suspended and major disruption in Dublin. Bus Éireann said it would try to serve Dublin Airport passengers where possible, while people travelling to Shannon and Dublin Airports are advised to allow extra time.
An Garda Síochána (the Irish police service), has declared an "exceptional event" in response to the fuel protests, allowing it to double the number of officers available to work. Meanwhile, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was assessing social media posts calling for planned protests and had prepared a response to minimise disruption and ensure public safety. Northern Ireland's Department for Infrastructure advised people to allow extra time for their journeys should protests go ahead.
On Friday, Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) and Finance Minister Simon Harris said that there would be a "substantial and significant" package of support for "key sectors of the economy". Harris said talks were "going well", adding that further "intensive engagement" into the weekend was likely. However, he added: "The blockade has to end." Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said the blockades meant the country was "on the precipice of turning oil away from the country" during a global oil supply crisis.
Speaking in Dublin on Saturday, Mary Lou McDonald the leader of Sinn Féin, said the Irish Government had allowed a "difficult situation" to escalate and urged it to engage with protesters to negotiate an end to the blockades. On Friday, there were long queues on the M1, heading towards the border with Northern Ireland, due to protesters closing the motorway at Dundalk, with vehicles blocking both lanes at the Carlingford turnoff. The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG), which brings together government departments and state agencies to coordinate emergency response, said fuel supplies for emergency response vehicles, including the ambulance service and fire service, are under "increasing pressure".
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. Meanwhile in Northern Ireland a protest is also underway in Strabane, County Tyrone. Organisers say they are standing in solidarity with those who are protesting in the Republic of Ireland.
A convoy of vans, lorries, tractors, and even a limousine, are taking part in a 'go-slow' around the town centre. One vehicle recovery owner told BBC News NI that his fuel bill increased by more than £5,000 in the past month and he would be taking his lorries off the road from today.
