The Taoiseach has said there are currently no plans to lower fuel prices, with the Government instead set to offer the public “helpful advice” on how to cut costs.
As protests have effectively brought the city to a standstill, with demonstrators calling for increased support over rising fuel expenses, Taoiseach Micheál Martin indicated that such measures are not expected in the near future, reports The Mirror.
Despite repeated assurances from senior officials that all options remain “under review”, expectations among hauliers for reductions in fuel taxes are unlikely to be met.
Earlier today, the Taoiseach held a meeting with Tánaiste Simon Harris and ministers including Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers to address the energy crisis, reports The Mirror.
During the meeting, they received a briefing from the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) regarding fuel supplies and examined steps being implemented by other countries.
Speaking afterwards, the Taoiseach said: “We went through every scenario, nothing yet on demand side measures. The supply situation has been okay up to now and then we have that resilience that’s provided by the 90 day reserves that we have, reports The Mirror.
“We will be launching shortly an energy efficiency program where we will give helpful advice to citizens that if you reduce your energy use in certain ways, you can reduce the cost for yourself. So there would be a comprehensive program of advice, communications, public communications program,” reports The Mirror.
The Taoiseach also reiterated his call for protesters to channel their concerns through official organisations such as the Irish Road Haulage Association.
The IRHA is not participating in the protest, stating that it is instead engaging with Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien, reports The Mirror.
He said: “We will keep everything else under review in terms of how we can ease the pressure on key sectors. Haulage is a key sector. We’ve already taken initiative on that. Food production is another key sector, so we’re very conscious of the pressures, but we’ve been engaging with all of the representative bodies of contractors, farmers and the haulage industry, these are nationally constituted bodies, and we engage with them. And we would say to anybody out there protesting, feed your concerns and your proposals through those organisations.” reports The Mirror.
He said: “No one can just park a truck on O’Connell Street or in any other street and just leave it there. And we have traffic laws. We have a variety of laws and fines that attach to that, and I think those have to apply properly. We always appreciate the right to protest, but the format and the manner in which these protests have taken part is wrong. We’ve heard reports that in some cases, depots are being blockaded, which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, and protesters preventing people from getting access to vital supplies, feedstuffs and various other products, that is not in the best interest of the Irish people,” reports The Mirror.
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