Garda boss back in Ireland to take charge of fuel protest response

A Standoff developed between Gardai and protesters at Whitegate as protesters prevented a fuel tanker from entering the Irving Oil refinery on Friday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has returned from holiday to take charge of the national policing response to the fuel protest crisis.

The Irish Examiner understands the garda boss had gone on a pre-booked holiday with his family before the protests began.

It is understood he was in regular contact with senior management while making arrangements to return to Ireland.

The approach of An Garda Síochána from the outset has been to adopt a low key response, focusing on local gardaí engaging with local protestors and their leaders.

This has been particularly important in relation to securing cooperation, or agreement, on accessing key critical infrastructure, such as the fuel depots at Whitegate Oil Refinery in Cork, Foynes Port, Co Limerick, and Galway Port.

Garda sources said they thought they had an agreement with local leaders at Whitegate to allow trucks in and out but this appears to have changed during Friday with protestors refusing to allow any more trucks in.

Gardaí appear to have had better cooperation with protestors in Foynes and also Rosslare Port.

“This is about your local gardaí talking to local people protesting and trying to develop a relationship and keep the dialogue open,” a senior garda source said. “This is against the backdrop of political announcements of 'bringing in the Army', which did not help matters at all.” 

The source said gardaí appealed to protestors to leave the likes of fertiliser and key chemicals in and then to try and build on that.

“One of the issues is some of the local leaders are more reasonable that others,” the source said. “Some people have been very difficult to engage with.” 

Another senior source said: “It’s one thing having convoys of trucks doing go-slows on roads and motorways or parking up vehicles on roads, but once you start blockading supply routes in the country, that’s different.

“If they decide to escalate things, going back on agreements, and blockading completely, they are doubling down and we’ll have to respond.” 

A number of Garda sources admit they face a very difficult challenge in trying to physically move parked up JCBs and articulated trucks. It is thought that commercial operators with such equipment may be very reluctant to assist gardaí, given their close business relationships with agricultural contractors and hauliers.

Sources are hoping that political talks, perhaps through independent intermediaries, will find a breakthrough over the weekend, when the size of protests may swell with family members joining in.

Traffic will increase significantly on Monday with schools back from the Easter break, which is likely to add further pressure on people and politicians.

So far Dublin Port has escaped being targeted with protests concentrated on O’Connell Bridge and the M50.

“It’s Munster and the West being hardest hit, at the moment,” one senior source said.