Organisers of recent fuel protests have indicated that further demonstrations are likely to take place ahead of the Budget, although no specific plans have yet been arranged.
James Geoghegan, a contractor from Co Westmeath, and John Dallon, a farmer and agricultural contractor from Co Kildare, were among the main figures behind the protests that disrupted O’Connell Street in Dublin for several days last month, reports Breaking News.
Both men criticised the Government’s recently announced fuel subsidy scheme and highlighted broader cost-of-living pressures affecting workers.
Mr Geoghegan and Mr Dallon were among speakers at a Breaking Point event held in Dublin City on Saturday evening.
Breaking Point describes itself as a forum where “established ideas meet new ones”.
Speaking before the event, Mr Geoghegan said, “There will be action before the Budget on October 6th and referred to the government support expiring in July, reports Breaking News.
He argued that the Government’s fuel support package had come “too late”, noting that payments would not be made until late June or early July, after a period of high fuel usage in farming.
He added that oil prices were continuing to rise, describing the package as “a drop in the ocean”, reports Breaking News.
He also criticised the ESB and suggested increasing oil imports from Russia, the US, and the North Sea if shortages arise due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“There will be action before that, for a start, this scheme that’s in is bringing fuel down and it’s helping until July, reports Breaking News.
“But we’ve a very busy autumn this year, and if that’s not included in the deal” he said it could be “the straw that break their back” for the grain industry.
“We see no fairness and that’s what’s really really annoying people, reports Breaking News.
“The voices I’m hearing from people, they’re still not happy,” Mr Dallon said.
He pointed to issues such as potential reductions to the Universal Social Charge, challenges faced by people with disabilities, pressures on nurses, and the number of people experiencing homelessness.
“I think this protest should have enough of an impact on the Government that they should listen because these protests are not going away from what I’m hearing, reports Breaking News.
“We’ve nothing organised, or I have nothing organised, but the voice of the people of the island of Ireland, they’re looking for another protest because there’s not enough done for the people of the working sector.”
When it was suggested he sounded like a politician, he said the idea “never entered my head”.
The protests began on April 7th when hauliers and agricultural contractors organised slow-moving convoys across cities and motorways, restricting access to major streets in Dublin, reports Breaking News.
They escalated in the following days to blockades of fuel depots supplying roughly half the country, as well as Ireland’s only oil refinery in Whitegate, Co Cork.
This led to panic buying at petrol stations, with many running out of fuel, and prompted the Whitegate refinery to consider redirecting supplies abroad or initiating a controlled shutdown, reports Breaking News.
The Government warned it could deploy the army to remove machinery blocking key infrastructure, while Gardaí carried out late-night operations to clear blockades in Dublin and elsewhere.
The public order unit was also deployed to Whitegate before the protests were eventually lifted.
The demonstrations led Sinn Féin to table a motion of no confidence in the Government, during which junior minister Michael Healy-Rae announced his resignation, though the coalition ultimately survived the vote, reports Breaking News.
Also speaking at the Dublin event were John McGuirk, editor of the conservative website Gript, and Christopher Duffy, another protest spokesperson.
Mr McGuirk said the protests would “clearly will have an impact” on upcoming by-elections and referenced a Sunday Independent poll showing support for Independent Ireland at 9% and Aontú at 6%, reports Breaking News.
“If that is the case (if those parties are on the right of politics), then that is the highest support for the right of the Irish political spectrum in an organised way since the Progressive Democrats were founded in 1985.”
Asked about reports that he had been placed on leave, Mr McGuirk said he remained editor of Gript and declined further comment, reports Breaking News.
The Press Association was informed that the event had reached capacity, with approximately 30 to 40 attendees, and was therefore unable to gain entry, reports Breaking News.
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