LAST UPDATE | 47 mins ago

PROTESTS OVER THE Government’s response to rising fuel prices are entering a third day, with actions so far involving the blocking of major routes and a refinery.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has warned that if the blocking of critical national infrastructure continues, the Defence Forces will be deployed to assist gardaí in removing vehicles.

“Owners of those vehicles should remove them immediately this morning and should not complain later about any damage caused to those vehicles during removal,” said O’Callaghan.

Meanwhile, the Luas Green Line is currently not operating between St. Stephen’s Green and Dominick due to the protests at O’Connell Street, with services operating between Broombridge and Dominick and between St. Stephen’s Green and Brides Glen only. 

Red Line services are operating as normal.

Red Line Luas services are operating as normal but Green Line services are impacted The Journal The Journal

Road closures also remain in place across Dublin City centre this morning and Dublin Bus has said it is experiencing “service disruptions” across its network.

A full list of Dublin Bus cancellations and diversions can be found here.

Dublin Bus has advised passengers to allow additional travel time.

Road closure at northern end of O'Connell Street The Journal The Journal

A Dublin Bus spokesperson told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that “protesters are splintering out and in some cases, two or three people are blocking off certain junctions and not letting any of buses through”.

The spokesperson said Dublin Bus is now running buses “from the outskirts of the city, in as close as we can get them, before they risk being trapped by the protesters, then turning those buses around and operating them back out”.

“It helps us to avoid buses getting trapped in the city centre, and at least operating on as much of that route as we can.”

The Express service meanwhile has been cancelled and the Dublin Bus spokesperson said “that’s enabling us to use those resources to plug the gaps”.

Protesters on O'Connell Street this morning The Journal The Journal

Elsewhere, a slow-moving demonstration has joined the M1 southbound at Junction 6 (Balbriggan) and motorists are advised to expect long delays.

The demonstrations began on Tuesday and continued into yesterday, with escalations including the blockading of fuel depots and the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork, a move described by Taoiseach Micheál Martin as “an act of national sabotage”.

Two fuel depots in Foynes, Co Limerick, and Co Galway had also been blocked by protesters.

Other Coalition figures, including Tánaiste Simon Harris, as well as Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, emphasised the importance of access to fuel depots and warned of consequences for unlawful activity.

Martin also said it was “not acceptable” to turn Dublin’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street, “into a car park” as protesters used tractors to substantially clog up traffic in the centre of the capital.

Lines of buses were parked on the side of the city’s streets, while some of the busiest streets were empty.

Speaking to The Journal this morning, city-centre protest spokesman John Dallon claimed that the Government is “not respecting the people of Ireland”.

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Taoiseach brands blockade of Cork oil refinery an 'act of national sabotage'

He said there is a right to protest and that protests will continue until talks with the Government take place.

Meanwhile, Dallon said public support is “growing and growing” and that this “could have been resolved if the Government were willing to go into talks”.

Senior Government figures said they would continue to engage with official national representative bodies and keep the situation “under review”.

Vehicles parked on O'Connell Street as protestors take part in second day of National Fuel Protest Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Fuels for Ireland CEO Kevin McPartlan warned yesterday that there was a risk to supplies to petrol forecourts as a result.

Gardaí and emergency responders, including Dublin Fire Brigade, have reported disruption and delays as a result of the protests.

Members of the public have also reported missing hospital appointments.

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, Government 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 cent for petrol, 22 cent for diesel, and five cent for green diesel – but the savings were largely eroded as the war waged on.