Government leaders say fuel protests are wrong and not in the national interest

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

Fuel protesters blocking cities and towns around Ireland are “wrong” and those breaking the law will be penalised, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin, Simon Harris and Sean Canny spoke to the press outside Government Buildings on Wednesday morning, and criticised the actions of those taking part in the demonstrations.

Towns and cities across Ireland have experienced traffic and travel disruption since Tuesday morning when slow-moving convoys of tractors, trucks and lorries started their protests.

Martin said: “The protests at the moment are wrong.

“To prevent mobility, to prevent people from accessing livelihoods, medical appointments, disrupting day-to-day activities in the manner that has happened, is wrong and is a wrong form of protest.”

Asked if the gardaí would clear the protesters on roads and around fuel depots the Taoiseach said: “There’s no justification whatsoever for blockading fuel depots.

“It runs counter to what everybody wants, which is access to fuel on a timely basis.”

He said while he respected the right to protest, it was “not acceptable” to turn Dublin’s O’Connell Street “into a car park”.

“There should be penalties and there will be penalties” for anyone who violates the law, he said.

The Tánaiste said the Government is engaging with national representative bodies and said the disruption caused by the protests is: “Not in our national interest, it’s not in our economic interest, it’s not in the interest of social cohesion”.

Asked if the Government would meet with the groups involved in the protests Martin responded there are “many, many different groups and many different voices” involved and “the only feasible way to engage is with the national representative bodies of the different sectors, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Asked if fuel pumps could run dry if depots are blockaded Canney, a Minister of State at the Department of Transport, said that would be “a ransom”.

He said: “I think people need to understand that what’s happening here is not in the national interest, it’s not in the people’s interest and we need to just reflect on that.”

Harris added “there may be a small number of particular challenges this morning” but he said he wanted to “reassure motorists and reassure people in our country that there is adequate fuel supply in Ireland”.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said: “I think some of the protests we’ve seen today are completely unacceptable and irresponsible.

“They’re undermining business in our city and across the country.”

Responding to reports demonstrators have blocked a fuel terminal he said that action was “reckless in the extreme, and they should stand down their protest.”