Michael Healy-Rae voted against the Government, shortly after tendering his resignation as a minister of state.

Slow-moving convoys of tractors and other vehicles formed in Belfast and several other areas as part of protests against rising energy bills.

Social Democrat TD Cian O’Callaghan said ‘GI Jim O’Callaghan arrived on the scene thinking that he was Rambo’ amid protests over fuel prices.

A junior minister in the Irish Government has resigned over its handling of the fuel protests.

A motion of no confidence was also planned by Sinn Fein in response to the fuel protests last week.

The blockades strangled fuel distribution throughout the country, with hundreds of filling stations running dry.

Simon Harris was speaking after his Cabinet and party colleague said he would ask the broadcasting regulator to look at media reporting.

A protest is due to be held at Leinster House on Tuesday, to coincide with a confidence vote in the government.

The no confidence vote is to be held shortly after the Dail reconvenes after the Easter recess at 2pm on Tuesday.

Sinn Féin has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Government over its handling of fuel protests

Patrick O’Donovan questioned whether the coverage of the protests was ‘balanced or was it skewed’.

People Before Profit has said most householders have got ‘little or nothing’ from the Government’s €505 million package.

Contributing 40 per cent of the overall fuel mix in March, wind energy made up a significant proportion of renewable energy.

The €505 million in additional measures comes on top of and extends some of last month’s €250 million package in response to fuel costs

Further reductions of duties on fuel and a delay in a carbon tax increase were announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin

Several of those engaged in protests – which involved blockades of critical infrastructure and severe disruption to the motorway network that strangled fuel distribution in the country – had sought such a move.

Around 20 large vehicles and tractors remained on O’Connell Street and the nearby quays in Dublin at 8am on Sunday, with dozens of protest participants and supporters.

Gardaí also cleared the trucks and tractors blocking O'Connell Street in Dublin this morning - although the street remains closed to traffic at the moment.

The Government is to re-enter talks on Saturday aimed at defusing protests which have strangled the distribution of fuel around the country.

One protester in Galway said: ‘If they want to try and pull us out, they’re going to have a job. It’s not going to happen.’

Micheál Martin criticised protesters and said Ireland is on the ‘precipice’ of turning oil away

Micheál Martin said the blockading of ports and a refinery by protesters was ‘unconscionable’.

A number of protests against the rising cost of fuel started across the country on Tuesday.

With the nationwide fuel protests entering a fourth day on Friday, here is an explanation of some of the key points.

Roads and fuel depots across Ireland have been blockaded since Tuesday morning by demonstrations against the rising cost of fuel.

The Sinn Féin leader said she does not want to see disruption caused by fuel price protests.

Protests over the Government’s response to rising fuel prices are entering a third day

The Government will soon issue advice on how to conserve energy use amid soaring fuel costs.

The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister of State Sean Canney spoke to the press about the protests on Wednesday morning.

Jack Chambers criticised the actions of demonstrators who have caused disruption across the country.

Gardaí said there were slow-moving convoys across Dublin and in counties Tipperary and Clare on Tuesday night.

The Tánaiste warned that the situation is ‘fast evolving’.

There is growing concern about the impact the war in Iran is having on energy prices.

The Taoiseach and Tánaiste reacted to the US president’s suggestion the war could continue for two or three weeks

Tánaiste Simon Harris said he is concerned about how much worse the crisis in the Middle East will get.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) say this is driven by the war in the Middle East.

The Spar Ballon N80 service station kept its prices below the €2 mark for as long as possible

Micheál Martin warned the government does 'not have certainty in terms of what could potentially unfold in the weeks ahead'

Pearse Doherty said families will have to ‘fend for themselves’ over Easter as supports do not go far enough.

‘Your package today had to be dragged out of you and still you come to the table with half measures,’ Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said.

The Government expects fuel prices to come down within hours.

Government leaders agreed a set of measures to help mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices sparked by the conflict in the Middle East.

A diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and bus operators is also expected, which will be backdated.