THE FUEL INDUSTRY body has said that drivers in the sector are facing “intimidation” when they’re going to collect fuel, as the sector tries to return to normality following the lifting of blockades.

The country’s sole oil refinery in Whitegate, Co Cork and critical depots in Foynes and Galway all saw their blockades lifted over the weekend, but several hundred forecourts remain without any fuel today.

Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan has said that the treatment of some drivers has made it harder to go about the work, with escorts also required for trucks making collections and deliveries.

McPartlan told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme that there is a “personal” targeting of the industry’s drivers, as he appealed for “threats and insults to drivers to stop”.

“They’re identifying individual drivers and contacting family members when they’re sitting ready to load things. I mean, it’s really it’s really poor,” McPartlan said, before adding that he was not suggesting that everyone involved in the protest is responsible.

“We need is to make sure that the road network across the country is unhindered so we can actually get closer people.”

In terms of the overall picture, McPartlan said that it remains “slow” to try and move fuel to restock forecourts, which could take over a week. 

“If the access to the terminals and refinery is maintained and secure we get to normal operational levels and there is no delays caused by rolling blockades or whatever on the motorways could still take us up to 10 days,” he said. 

The Whitegate refinery is not yet at full operational efficiency, McPartlan said, but there is better news from Dublin after blockades were lifted in the capital.

“The lifting of the of the protests in in Dublin has meant that we have more efficient routes coming out of Dublin port, which accounts for about 50% of all of the fuel that represents the country, but it’s still not back to absolute normal levels,” McPartlan said.

‘No control’ over more protests

A spokesman for the Dublin fuel protest has said that they “achieved something small” in €505 million worth of government measures, but said he has “no control” over further protests.

Blockades at fuel depots and Ireland’s only oil refinery have been lifted, but traffic disruption continued in parts of the country on Monday due to some protests.

“Nobody knows what the plan is, that’s being straight out there,” said John Dallon, a Kildare farmer and agriculture contractor who was at the Dublin protest.

He said that he welcomed the reduction in green diesel, but the government “should have done something” on kerosene.

“This protest is out of my hands, it escalated to somewhat so big, and I don’t know where it’s going to end, but it’s the government’s fault,” he told Newstalk radio on Monday.

“We achieved something small, but this is something way bigger now, and I have no control over it, and that’s exactly where I’m coming from.

“It’s gone to the stage that it seems like, looking out there, that the people of the island of Ireland have no confidence in this government anymore.”

With reporting by PA