Fuel protester’s comments deeply disturbing, Taoiseach says

By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association

Comments made by a fuel protest spokesperson are “deeply disturbing”, the Taoiseach has said ahead of a key meeting on Friday afternoon – adding Ireland is on the “precipice” of turning oil away.

Roads, ports, and a refinery have been blocked since protests about the rising cost of fuel began on Tuesday.

Demonstrators have demanded a meeting with the Government, which has repeatedly said it will only speak to established representative bodies.

Government ministers and official groups representing the farming and haulier sectors are due to meet at the Department of Agriculture.

Micheal Martin appeared on RTÉ radio on Friday and was asked what would happen if protesters attended with the representative organisations. Mr Martin said: “I can’t dictate who’s going to turn up.”

But he said he wanted to “alert people” to comments made by protest spokespeople.

He said one, Christopher Duffy, said that protesters “would stand down the blockades” if they had a meeting with the government, but Mr Martin claimed he later said: “We won’t be standing them down until we get what we want.”

Mr Martin described this as “deeply disturbing”.

“Tthis is what we’re dealing with,” he added.

He said others had “made comments about closing down the country”, later saying “guns can’t be put to people’s heads”.

The Taoiseach also said Ireland is on the “precipice of turning oil away from the country in the middle of a global oil supply problem”.

He described the situation as “very severe”, adding: “I don’t think people out there perhaps realise the gravity of the situation.”

He said “somebody else could buy” oil that is on a tanker off the coast of Galway if it cannot land.

The Whitegate refinery in Co Cork will not be able to continue to process oil if it runs out of storage space, he said.

He added that the “product coming into Whitegate” could be diverted to international markets.

Asked if Ireland is at risk of “losing all its oil supply”, Mr Martin replied “correct”.

“It is unconscionable, it’s illogical, it’s difficult to comprehend,” he said

“Unelected and self-appointed people can’t determine who gets oil in this country, can’t determine who gets to hospital,” he said.

Asked about measures the Government is putting together in response to rising prices, Mr Martin said they “are around the fundamental areas of the essentials of the economy” – including food production and haulage.

Asked if it would include energy credits, he said: “No, not at this stage.”

He said the package is “not finished” and “could take some time”.