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LAST UPDATE | 7 hrs ago
BLOCKADES OF CRITICAL fuel depots in Galway and Foynes, Co Limerick have ended today, as the nationwide fuel crisis moves towards a conclusion.
The Galway depot will reopen after a standoff at the city’s docks, while the Foynes protesters have voted to stand down their blockade.
Since yesterday, gardaí have been removing major blockades throughout the country, lifting obstructions in Whitegate, Co Cork, Dublin’s O’Connell Street and the M50 motorway.
Officers, including the Public Order Unit, dismantled makeshift barricade that had been erected overnight in Galway.
On the garda X account, it outlined that the Galway operation was to ensure “critical supplies of fuel to maintain critical emergency public services, including ambulance and fire services”.
Protesters, who had blocked the emergency access and exit from the terminal, were directed to leave the area at around 8am morning.
Videos on social media show a standoff with a small number of protesters before the Public Order Unit gained control of the docks.
Yesterday saw a tanker with about 6m litres of fuel try to land at the port but it was prevented due to the port’s blockade.
The company involved with the ship, CircleK, is paying a “substantial” hourly rate for the ship to remain anchored as it waits for clearance to land.
Limerick TD Richard O’Donoghoe announced on social media this morning that the protest will leave Foynes at 1pm today following a vote among those involved in the blockade.
The protest had gotten underway as part of the nationwide demonstrations earlier this week.
“We are going to pull out of Foynes here today peacefully at 1 o’clock,” O’Donoghue said, paying thanks to the local community and the businesses that have backed the blockade.
Protesters have agreed to stand down a separate blockade in place at Rosslare Europort in Co Wexford, blocking non-essential freight. It’s understood they are currently leaving the area.
Protesters yesterday allowed essential freight, including medical supplies and foodstuffs, exit the port. Passengers were allowed access and exit to the port throughout the blockade.
Perennial Freight CEO Chris Smith told RTÉ’s This Week programme that the blockade has had a “huge impact” on his business, costing “€300,000 in revenue” so far.
Perennial Freight, which employs 180 people, normally does up to 110 deliveries a day but it has stopped entirely since Friday.
Jane Cregan, a spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann, told the same programme that the rail company typically has 250 truck movements in and out of the port on a Sunday.
Over 60 trucks have moved from inside the cordon, accompanied by drivers, she said. “That’s outward, but we’ve still nothing going inward into the port.
“There is a significant tailback beyond where the blockade is around the port, and we have a situation with unaccompanied freight that is in the port and can’t be collected,” she said.
A ship is due in to the port at 6pm and another is due in the early hours of the morning. “Once those ships have been offloaded, we don’t have any further capacity until we can start moving some of that unaccompanied freight out,” Cregan said.
Additional reporting by Emma Hickey
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