'Our livelihoods are gone'- Truckers at Dublin Port refuse to move despite threat of losing licences

Hauliers and truckers protest near to Dublin Port this morning over the over spiraling fuel costs. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

A small number of truckers blocking the East Link bridge at Dublin Port say they will not be moved despite the threat of losing their licences.

The truckers protest, which had been touted for days as likely to bring Dublin to a standstill across the Easter holidays, was reduced to a small but significant presence by 10am on Monday.

Roughly 10 trucks had blocked the key roundabout at the 3 Arena, linking the Port Tunnel, Dublin Port, and the M50.

The impact on traffic elsewhere in the north of the city was minimal however, with access to the roundabout closed off by gardaí.

Those assembled, none of whom were willing to be identified, were disconsolate at how the protest had developed.

Some engaged in debate with the gardaí monitoring the situation, who insisted that all those present would be subject to fines and penalty points should they not clear the roundabout in short order.

“You have to do your job, we have to do ours,” one driver told a Garda. 

“We are doing this for you too.” They claimed that many other drivers present had called off their own protest hours before amidst the threat of losing their licences.

The trucker protest had been organised with a view to gaining Government concessions on the sky-high fuel prices being seen at present. There was little love for the denizens of Leinster House among those present.

“We may as well stay here, our livelihoods are gone anyway, our companies are being closed,” one said.

“There are how many of us here? 30?” another man, who said he had “a wife and three kids” told the crowd.

 “There are how many people in Ireland? I’m ashamed to be Irish,” he said.

Dublin business group calls for dialogue as hauliers protest causes traffic disruption

Gardaí at the tauliers and truckers protest near to Dublin Port this morning. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The CEO of the Dublin Town business group, Richard Guiney has called for dialogue with the protesting truck drivers as the city faces potential traffic disruption this morning.

The protest is being organised by People of Ireland Against Fuel Prices, formerly known as Irish Truckers and Haulage Association Against Fuel Prices group, and already both ends of the East Link bridge are blocked.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the entire Dublin Port Area. 

Members have been gathering at the M1 Lusk Services Applegreen Southbound, the M4 Kinnegad Plaza and the M7 Toughers Naas and a number of other arterial roadways since about 3am. 

The group are also planning to meet for a pedestrians protest at the GPO on O'Connell Street at 9am.

Mr Guiney said that dialogue was how to respond to the issue not by disrupting people. Protests and disruption were not what the city needed at a time when businesses were still “coming out of the pandemic.”

Businesses and their staff were also experiencing inflation. 

“This is something we need to work on together rather than one sector impacting on another especially when that sector is still so fragile.” 

"Protests and disruption is not really what the city needs."

Previous protests last November and December had been “managed well” by the gardaí and Dublin City Council, and had not had as negative an impact as feared, added Mr Guiney.

“The pandemic has not been kind to the city," he told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.

Footfall in city centre businesses was at 80 percent to 85 percent and many businesses were “really struggling”, he said. 

“We need office workers back. We’re clinging on, we need some support.”

Hauliers to protest for 'as long as it takes'

Hauliers and truckers protest near to Dublin Port. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The group behind the protest warned commuters in Dublin to expect widespread delays as trucks block some of the main routes into the city.

Hauliers and truckers said they were planning to bring "complete lockdown" to the capital today as part of a protests over rising fuel prices.

The group held two larger-scale protests in the capital in the run up to Christmas, leading to significant delays.

"Dublin will be in complete lockdown and for as long as it takes until our demands are agreed upon by Government!” the group said in a Facebook post.

“We are a group of truck companies struggling to stay afloat and have come together, along with farmers, bus companies, taxis and the general public to protest as the price of being in business and the cost of living is not affordable."

“How are people to get to school or work? How are the elderly and disadvantaged supposed to pay for these increases?

There aren't actually that many vehicles here, but the whole link is shut off. Gardai and truckers having a debate just now pic.twitter.com/JE3AAYRRBF

— Cianan Brennan (@ciananbrennan) April 11, 2022

They are also calling for price caps on petrol, diesel and home heating fuel and the scrapping of the carbon tax.

The group, which is not affiliated with the Irish Road Haulage Association (IHRA), said some people were now in the "atrocious" position of having to to choose between food, heat and transportation. 

“Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did not work hard all their lives and pay tax for us to live in poverty," the group said. 

"It's 2022 in a first world country, we can and need to do better."

Pictured are ruck drivers taking part in a protest in Dublin this morning are blocking both ends of the Tom Clarke Bridge, commonly known as the East Link. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Those behind the protest said today's events will be peaceful, and apologised in advance for inconvenience caused by their demonstrations.

They have called for price caps on petrol, diesel and home heating fuel and the scrapping of the carbon tax.

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said they are aware of the protest, and that an “appropriate and proportionate” plan has been put in place to monitor it.

"Commuters should plan accordingly," the spokesperson added.