How this week's protests fuelled confusion and consternation at Leinster House

Four days of unprecedented shutdown and anger have snowballed from a few posts on social media to a major problem for the Government, write Paul Hosford, Louise Burne and Tadgh McNally

The fourth day of the fuel protest on O'Connell Street in Dublin. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA

"WTF?" It was a common sentiment all week, but from a government member on Thursday, it was surprising.

Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time, James Geoghegan, a spokesperson for the blockades which had crippled fuel deliveries and jammed up the capital said protests on O'Connell Street had been pared back as a result of a promised meeting at Government Buildings.