Haulage group offers to be ‘honest broker’ between protesters and government

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has offered to act as “an honest broker” between fuel protesters and the Government, its president has said.

Ger Hyland was speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland radio programme on Friday morning as widespread disruption caused by the demonstrations continued into a fourth day.

A number of separate but co-ordinated protests against the rising cost of fuel started across the country on Tuesday.

Motorways, fuel depots and Dublin city centre have been blocked by demonstrators who have demanded a meeting with the Government.

On Thursday night, a spokesperson for the Dublin city blockade appeared on RTE’s Prime Time and claimed protest participants would be attending a meeting with Government on Friday that was originally scheduled for official national representative bodies.

Later a Government spokesman said it had agreed to meet official representatives.

However, he added: “Who these nationally and democratically constituted bodies choose to bring along with them is a matter for them.”

On Friday morning, Mr Hyland said the Government had “extended two places at that table to our association”.

He said he had put forward two people from the IRHA but “it is up to the Government who goes to a Government meeting, I can’t decide who I bring in, who I want”.

Mr Hyland said he had contact with the protesters “through intermediaries” and is available to meet demonstrators before the meeting, and “if the protesters are happy” he would “bring their concerns with us in to Government”.