Irish army called to remove vehicles blocking depots during fuel protests

The army has been called in to remove heavy vehicles blocking fuel depots as part of a continuing protest across Ireland over rising fuel prices.

The justice minister said that large vehicles blocking critical infrastructure would be removed.

Protests over the Irish Government’s response to rising fuel prices entered a third day on Thursday.

Several distinct but co-ordinated protests began on Tuesday involving slow-moving convoys on motorways and blockades on major roads in Dublin and other cities.

Hauliers and agricultural contractors using large trucks and tractors are among protesters disrupting traffic.

On Wednesday, protests escalated with vehicles blocking fuel depots.

In a statement on Thursday morning, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said “the blocking of critical national infrastructure will not be permitted to continue and the assistance of the Defence Forces has been requested”.

He added owners of the vehicles involved in the blockades “should remove them immediately this morning and should not complain later about any damage caused to those vehicles during removal”.

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) was convened on Thursday in response to the escalating situation.

A statement said the group was briefed that there is “serious concern” about access to fuel for emergency service vehicles, which may impact the “availability of some services should the disruption continue”.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) also told the NECG the blockades have the potential to disrupt the “time-sensitive delivery of key medicines”.

The group was also briefed that the obstruction of routes from ports is “threatening the provision of animal feed supplies”.

The Defence Forces confirmed they had received a request for assistance from An Garda Siochana and said because “this operation is ongoing” they would not be commenting further.

They have four heavy-lift recovery trucks available to help clear trucks and tractors involved in blockades and it is understood it is envisaged that assistance will be limited to these vehicles and the personnel required to operate them.

The Defence Forces also said images of a convoy of Mowag armoured personnel carriers circulating on social media are “the personnel of the 128th Infantry Battalion conducting mission readiness exercises ahead of deployment to Unifil next month”.

The Irish premier, Micheal Martin, told RTE he did not “anticipate” there would be violence if the army and gardai moved in on demonstrators.

The Taoiseach said it is “not in our nature to be engineering any situation that gives rise to conflict”.

Mr Martin said “the Government had to act” once the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork and the Foynes fuel terminal in Co Limerick were blocked.

Defence Minister Helen McEntee told reporters at the Curragh Camp that the Defence Forces intervention was “never a first resort”.

However, she said: “It cannot be the case that individuals decide that they are going to blockade parts of the country and stop people from going about their business.

“That they’re going to essentially put other businesses out of business now because of their actions, that farmers are potentially going to put animals at risk because of their actions, and that people aren’t able to get to hospital appointments.

“So, as the Government, we have to take firm steps.”

Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartland said forcourts are “running out of stock” as a “direct result” of blockades.

He said “enormous effort” had gone into maintaining fuel supplies to Ireland since the outbreak of the war in Iran and it is “profoundly disappointing” people are being prevented from accessing fuel.

On Thursday afternoon, Mr O’Callaghan said protesters are being “manipulated” by “outside actors” including right-wing activist Tommy Robinson.

He said there were “many outside actors”, who “really want to damage Ireland as a country”, manipulating protesters online.

He added: “I see Tommy Robinson in the UK referring to and relying upon these protests to advance his own political measures.”

Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and HSE chief executive Anne O’Connor have jointly called for all approaches to medical facilities to be kept clear during the protests.

Ms MacNeill and Ms O’Connor said access was required for emergency services, for patients attending medical appointments and to ensure staff can get to work.

They said: “Attending hospital or receiving treatment in the community, whether in an emergency situation or for a routine appointment, is a vulnerable time for a patient and their family.

“Please respect the critical need for clear and safe access to all healthcare services, to ensure that access to care is never compromised.”

In a statement to the media at Garda headquarters in Dublin, Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon said gardai are now “moving to an enforcement phase” unless protesters “desist and disperse”.

She added: “An Garda Siochana is advising protesters to immediately cease blockades of such critical national infrastructure or face the full rigours of the law.”

The protesters say they have nominated “three or four” spokespeople they want to meet Government leaders.

However, speaking on RTE Radio’s Morning Ireland show, one of them, John Dallon said he does not speak for the protesters blocking fuel depots: “I’m here on the streets of Dublin, I have no voice as regards what’s happening down the country as regards blocking up ports.”

He added: “What’s happening down there is out of my hands, I have no control over what happens.”

Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said he would meet with farming and haulier representative groups but would not speak to the protesters.

He said: “What is very clear here is that this is a clear choice between democracy or anarchy, and we have a rule of law in this country.

“I completely understand where people’s frustration is from in terms of (the) very high energy shock as a result of the war that has broken out between America, Israel and Iran.”

Asked specifically about the carbon tax, which some protesters have suggested should be abolished, Mr Heydon said: “Undermining the overall economy is not in the best interest of the public at this time, where we’re facing a very uncertain geopolitical future.

“So that’s why people have to trust that the Government, while working with all the representative bodies, is doing everything it can within the scope of the tools available to us and will continue to examine the opportunities further for us.”

Other coalition figures, including Tanaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris, as well as Mr O’Callaghan, emphasised the importance of access to fuel depots and warned of consequences for unlawful activity.

The cost of petrol, diesel and marked gas oil (“green diesel”) has soared as a result of the war in the Middle East and impacts on supplies out of the Strait of Hormuz.

Just over two weeks ago, Ireland’s ruling coalition signed off on a range of measures to reduce fuel costs, including a temporary excise duty reduction for motor fuels, expansion of the diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and bus operators, and an extension of the fuel allowance.

It saw an effective reduction of 17 cents for petrol, 22 cents for diesel, and five cents for green diesel – but the savings were largely eroded as the war raged on.