LIVE: Minister says Defence Forces to assist gardaí as fuel price protests continue
Traffic from the port at Ringaskiddy, Cork, was stopped and commuters and buses travelling to and from Carrigaline experienced significant delays on Wednesday as the fuel price protest continued on the N28. Picture: Larry Cummins
Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said this morning that the Defence Forces have been asked to assist the gardaí to move protestors blocking oil refineries and terminals.
It comes as protesters continue to block roads around Dublin and motorways around the country in opposition to the rising price of fuel.
Mr O’Callaghan said that the blocking of infrastructure will not be allowed and that people should not “complain” if their vehicles are damaged.
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A spokesperson for Mr O’Callaghan had said the Defence Forces would be deployed to move people.
“The Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has confirmed that it is well established in law that the Defence Forces may assist An Garda Síochána in aid to the civil power, when requested and when required,” a spokesperson said.
“On each occasion that the support of the Defence Forces is required, An Garda Síochána issues a form C70 to the Defence Forces to request their assistance.
"Large vehicles blocking critical infrastructure will be removed.
“Owners of those vehicles should remove them immediately this morning and should not complain later about any damage caused to those vehicles during removal.
“Denying people access to fuel and clean water is an unacceptable interference in the most basic of human right”.
Foreign affairs and defence minister Helen McEntee said that that the Defence Forces "are always available to consider any requests for assistance from An Garda Siochana.
"Ensuring that critical supplies for our country and its people are able to flow across our country is absolutely essential.
"I remain in close contact with government colleagues and the Chief of Staff."
Government sources said on Thursday morning that the blockading of fuel depots had changed the situation.
However, sources within the army said the announcement came as a surprise to them.
A Defence Forces source told the : "The idea that the army has been called in is news to the army.
"The first they knew about it was when they were contacted by a journalist and asked about a statement from government that this was the case.
"I can tell you that as of 8.30am, this request has not been received."
As the request was reported to have been made by gardaí, the has asked gardaí for a comment and clarification.
Fuel terminals have been blocked in Galway and Foynes, while the Whitegate Oil Refinery has also been barricaded.
Today’s protests will be held across Ireland, including in Cork, Dublin, Waterford, Wexford, Sligo, Donegal, Clare, Limerick and Portlaoise..
In Dublin, they include a blockade in place around a key city centre pinch point at College Green.
Protest organisers said the blockade at Cork’s Whitegate refinery is to stay in place, with extra vehicles due to have arrived overnight to help enforce it.
A convoy which gathered at the Shannonpark roundabout has moved to join the blockade of the Port of Cork. A number of areas around Ringaskiddy are understood to be currently blocked while other towns in Cork are due to be affected. These include Midleton, Watergrasshill, Ballincollig, Mallow, Macroom, Clonakilty, Ballyhooly and “surrounding county routes".
Protest plans also include sections of the M8 in Thurles and the M7 at Limerick, which has been closed down in both directions around Junction 28.
Protesters were due to leave in “rolling” convoys to Dublin from locations including the Kinnegad Plaza, the M7 Junction 14 at Monasterevin, the Navan Retail Park, an area of the M1 at Castlebellingham and the south side of the N11 into Dublin from Wicklow.
Other convoys were also due to take part in a “high-visibility rolling protest” over the Shannon crossing.
The main Portumna-Banagher Bridge point - which carries the R356 across the River Shannon between Offaly and Galway - was due to see a “soft-impact, high-visibility traffic movement” from early this morning.
More than 1,456 people have signed a “People of Ireland Fuel Protest” petition for the government to recognise the legitimacy of fuel protest representatives.
Organisers of the Change.org petition, which was published last night said: “We respectfully ask you sign this petition to show support to those protesting for fuel costs.
“The government has said they will only speak to representatives. Help us make those protesting yours.”
The petition organisers claimed: “Businesses may feel it first but you will feel the costs of living increase very soon. They are standing up for us all to call on the government to help us in this crisis.”
The petition calls on “the government of Ireland, relevant Ministers, and elected representatives” to recognise People Of Ireland Against Fuel Prices spokesperson Sonny Boyd to be recognized as a representative.
As well as the truck driver, they also want Co Meath farming contractor Christopher Duffy to be recognized as well as a representative.
Earlier this week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin condemned the fuel protests as an "act of national sabotage" and Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien also condemned it.
Minister O’Brien said that as well as listening to and understanding “the real challenges people are facing”, he also said he would “continue to engage with representative groups from affected sectors, such as the IRHA”.
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