Gardaí make arrests at Whitegate protest; talks end without agreement
James Cox, Sarah Slater and PA reporters
7pm
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State Sean Canney held talks with industry representatives on Friday and Saturday.
The engagements included the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), the Freight Transport Association of Ireland, and the Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland.
IRHA president Ger Hyland said there were “the bones of an agreement” with the Government, adding that he hoped the “substantial package”, understood to include the direct payment scheme, would be agreed either late on Saturday or on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters before briefing the Taoiseach on the talks, Mr O’Brien said: “We want to get an agreement, we want to support businesses and individuals through this difficult time, and we want the protest to end.”
Concurrent talks were held online between the Department of Agriculture and groups such as the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and the Irish Farmers Association.
The recognised bodies in the Government meetings are not responsible for organising the distinct protests around the country but are also working to secure reductions in operating costs.
Protesters had sought their own engagements with the Government and expressed anger at being excluded from the talks.
The protests have also seen slow-moving convoys and outright stoppages on the motorway network as well as the establishment of a large blockade on Dublin city’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street.
The development at Whitegate came after Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan said around 600 of the 1,500 filling stations around the Republic of Ireland had run dry on Saturday morning.
He had predicted that the number “would grow quite dramatically” if the blockades on Whitegate, Galway and Foynes, Co Limerick, continued.
Elsewhere, Rosslare Europort was expected to hit capacity by Sunday evening or Monday morning.
Operations at the port, run by Irish Rail, have been affected by a blockade of fuel protesters in the nearby town of Kilrane, Co Wexford.
A spokesperson for Irish Rail said the port will soon be at capacity and will not be able to take in any more freight – resulting in ships having to wait on anchor or be diverted to another port if possible.
6.30pm
There have also been concerns about fuel shortages leading to the curtailment of emergency services and the delivery of vital goods, while the National Emergency Co-ordination Group urged people to only buy the fuel they need.
The blockades are part of nationwide protests by hauliers, farmers and agricultural contractors who are urging the Government to take action to reduce fuel costs which they say are at unsustainable levels and will lead to people going out of business.
Participants say the Government needs to take urgent action on fuel prices or they will go out of business.
It is understood the Department of Transport is working on plans for a transport support scheme that would see direct payments to businesses in the sectors affected by high fuel costs.
A senior source said the scheme will be part of a broader package on the fuel crisis.
The operation to secure the Whitegate refinery took approximately an hour and saw some physical clashes between the Public Order Unit and protesters, including instances where pepper spray was used.
6pm
A number of arrests have been made during the Garda operation in Whitegate Oil Refinery, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said.
Mr Kelly said the current blockades are "not a legitimate form of protest" in a statement issued this evening.
"Since Tuesday, An Garda Síochána has worked hard to minimise disruption caused to the citizens of the country.
Despite this, some people have decided to escalate an already difficult situation by blockading critical national infrastructure such as fuel depots and refineries.
"This has resulted in fuel shortages that are directly impacting on emergency services such as hospitals, the ambulance service, and the fire service, as well as businesses and the general public.
"These are blockades. They are not a legitimate form of protest. They are illegal activity that is endangering our State.
"These blockades are also putting at risk supplies that are critical for our country.
"These blockades have put An Garda Síochána in an invidious position of having to deploy public order units in order to ensure that hospitals can function, fires can be responded to, and people can be brought to hospital.
"We never want to do this, but the blockaders have left us with no choice.
"We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom."
The statement continued: "This morning, An Garda Síochána moved to restore fuel supplies from Whitegate Refinery. We made a number of arrests during this operation.
"In the coming hours and days we will have further such operations.
"I want to commend our Gardaí for their work, which has required a significant amount of planning.
"I also want to thank the Defence Forces for their support.
"These operations have required the deployment of a large number of Gardaí.
"Gardaí who should have been engaged in patrolling cities and towns, community engagement, and investigating crimes such as domestic abuse.
"Instead, because of the illegal actions of a few, much of this valuable work to keep people safe is not taking place. We are aware that there has been intimidation of fuel tanker drivers, these are criminal offences, we will not tolerate this and we will investigate all such reports and prosecute suspects.
"Offences such as threats to kill or cause serious harm carry sentences of up to 10 years.
"My message is clear.
"Blockaders must immediately cease blockades of critical infrastructure and road networks or face the full rigours of the law.”
5.22pm
Talks at the Department of Transport end - without agreement. But all sides available for further talks.
4.37pm
Gardaí in Wexford are warning motorists to be aware that traffic on the M11 is “severely disrupted”, with a large portion of traffic entering Gorey town, causing further delays within the town. Expect delays if travelling today.
Rosslare Europort is also heavily affected, with delays to be expected in the Kilrane/Rosslare Harbour area.
An Garda Síochána has and continues to “engage extensively” with those taking part in fuel protests across the country to facilitate peaceful protest while protecting public safety.
3.40pm
Fuel trucks have regained access to an oil refinery that had been subjected to a days-long blockade after gardaí cleared protesters from the entrance.
In a major operation involving scores of gardaí, large tractors that had been blocking the entrance to the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork were moved and fuel tankers were once again able to access the site.
The operation to secure the site took approximately an hour and saw some physical clashes between the Public Order Unit and protesters, including instances where pepper spray was used.
Members of the Defence Forces were also at the scene as An Garda Síochána, had requested the availability of a military heavy-lift recovery truck if it needed to tow any of the large tractors or trucks involved in the blockade.
Gardaí escorted the fuel trucks to the premises.
2.45pm
Around 600 of the 1,600 forecourts in the country have now run out of petrol and diesel, according to Fuels for Ireland.
2pm
The blockade at Whitegate oil refinery in County Cork has been broken, with gardaí using pepper spray on protestors.
A large number of Public Order gardaí are at the scene, along with Defence Force vehicles.
It's the fifth day of nationwide fuel demonstrations, with blockades continuing at Galway and Foynes ports, as well as disruption to the road network.
1pm
Defence Force vehicles and a large number of Public Order gardaí have arrived at the Whitegate oil refinery in Cork.
Protestors are continuing their blockade there, on the fifth day of the national fuel protest.
Blockades also remain in place at the ports in Foynes and Galway, while traffic continues to be disrupted across the motorway network.
Fuels for Ireland says it "will not be in a position to guarantee fuel availability at forecourts nationwide by early next week" if the blockades are not lifted by Monday.
12pm
Earlier, a man arrested at the Whitegate oil refinery in Cork on Friday has been charged.
The man, aged in his 50s, was detained on Friday evening.
He has since been charged to appear before the courts at a later date.
10am
Around 600 of the 1,500 filling stations around Ireland have run dry, according to an industry representative.
Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan said he expects the number “will grow quite dramatically” if ongoing blockades of fuel depots remain in place.
Asked on RTÉ Radio One’s The Business how that number may grow, he said: “If everything remains as it is, that is to say that the three facilities remain blockaded, then I don’t think we could guarantee fuel at any forecourt by very early next week, Monday morning or Monday perhaps.”
There are fears that around a third of Ireland’s 1,500 filling stations could run dry by Saturday morning as protesters engaged in a blockade of the country’s only oil refinery in Whitegate, Co Cork, as well as key depots in Galway and Foynes, Co Limerick.
There have also been concerns about fuel shortages leading to curtailments in the provision of emergency services and the delivery of vital goods. At the same time, the National Emergency Coordination Group urged the public to buy only the fuel they need.
Government ministers engaged with some of these groups on Friday, but a spokesman for the protesters expressed “devastation” that they were excluded from the meeting.
A commitment from the coalition on Friday night to deliver a “substantial” package of measures on fuel costs was not enough to dissuade protesters from continuing blockades.
Talks between Government departments and representative bodies are set to continue at lunchtime on Saturday, with a view to finalising what Tánaiste Simon Harris said would be “substantial and significant” measures for affected industries.
Here is the latest information on motorway closures from TII Traffic:
M50:
M50 between J06 - BLANCHARDSTOWN and J05 - FINGLAS Direction northbound
M50 between J05 - FINGLAS and J06 - BLANCHARDSTOWN Direction southbound
N4:
N4 J01 - M50 Interchange Direction eastbound Slip to City and M50 northbound
M7:
M7 between J16 - PORTLAOISE and J17 - PORTLAOISE Direction both
M7 between J29 - M7/N24 and J30 - M7/N18/M20 Direction both
M8:
M8 J09 - CASHEL(SOUTH) Direction northbound
M8 J06- Arbourhill and J09 Owen and Biggs Lot- Direction southbound
M18:
M18/N18 J11 - DROMOLAND Direction both
M18/N18 J13 - TULLA Direction northbound
M18/N18 between J02 - DOCK and J01 - ROSSBRIEN Direction southbound
M18/N18 J14 - BAREFIELD Direction southbound Slip R458 to M18
M18/N18 between J15 - CRUSHEEN and J14 - BAREFIELD Direction southbound
M20:
M20/N20 between J04 - PATRICKSWELL and J03 - RAHEEN Direction northbound
Significant delays to your journey are likely to occur. Please use a different route for your journey.
