The protests over fuel costs

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I support them ..they seem like decent, hard working people who are at the end of their tether. Threatening them (as the Guards Representative did earlier) is not the way forward.

In theory I agree with them; in practice not so much.

Nope, they’re not doing anything useful other than wasting fuel and their over reaction is causing other people to panic buy fuel, leading to shortages.

The ambulances in my two local rural hospitals are now out of fuel according to my paramedic friend.

Yes they have a point. But as the days go on they are causing people problems in daily life...getting deliveries to small businesses, getting to medical appointments, visiting elderly relatives, whatever. So they are losing support.

I am also a decent hard working person but cannot get to work because of them.

Totally irritated by them. It's just ordinary hard working people who are being impacted on top of the expensive fuel ...

I support them. I will be massively inconvenienced this weekend and my plans likely cancelled. However Ireland is a nation that doesn’t usually protest in the numbers we’ve seen over the last couple of days, decent ordinary people are desperate and at breaking point and coming out in huge numbers. The Government have got this wrong and I’m horrified that they are bringing in the army.

https://www.donegaldaily.com/news/national-british-activist-among-those-manipulating-fuel-protesters-1-629519

Oh...I thought big Jim O'Callaghan had become a British right wing activist!
One thing I have learned since Tuesday is how many massive new tractors are used near me. Im not sure how the army or gardai could move them.

They will ask them nicely and say please and thanks. That is really all they can do. I understand the frustration but the rest of us are impacted too. It cannot continue like this.

This could turn ugly. Not necessarily by the protesters but by the infiltration of the protests by "rent a crowd" hangers on if the Army gets involved.

I'm not liking the sound of that. The Government needs to meet the leaders of the protest stat to avoid that.

The government does have a budget surplus so maybe they could give ppl some short term relief on fuel costs. But there is a limit to what we can do to restrain Mr Trump and Bibi.

As for the protesters I think they may exhaust the patience of the general public if they are not careful. It's not as if they are known for solidarity with other groups of workers.

Every euro spent at the pumps gives at least 60 cent to the government - surely the government have some wriggle room here to make a compromise? The protesters are all hard working tax payers - they are not looking for handouts, just a bit of common sense and fairness.

The blockade is having a massive impact on everyone but anything less wouldn't have achieved the same impact... I do support them and really hope that a compromise can be reached. I can see this week featuring on Reeling in the Years in years to come!

The only people it is impacting is the ordinary folk who need to work, go to hospital apps etc etc. It is not impacting the government they are on holidays from the dail also.

Schools are off too this week so the impact, while really bad would (will?) be worse next week. If they are genuine and not masking other complaints against the Government, and you know what I mean re infiltration, then if they allowed free passage to emergency vehicles and unblocked the fuel depots, they might have some support, as people can make plans around it. Much worse has happened protest wise up to now.

Free speech is very important. There is a fine line between the public somewhat agreeing with the impact of excise duties and other taxes, (and seeing relatively little infrastructural return) and the public going mad dragging all kinds of complaining into the mix.

I've just heard that the protest continues tomorrow Friday.

Should free speech trump people going about their lives? Is blocking people's right to travel to work or education free speech?
If a union wants a strike they have proper channels and give a notice period.
But this is a very effective way of making a point. Particularly to people who can't do anything. And politicians still not needed to Dublin until Tuesday!

I do and I don’t. I support the idea of it, the government need to cut tax on fuel for people who are reliant on it to run businesses, at the least.

I’m a bit worried about the involvement of British right wing people and also the blockades on fuel refinery's which is going too far.

I hope they properly engage with the genuine protestors. The sending in the army plan is crazy- plays into the right wing hands.

The problem with saying they should allow passage to emergency vehicles is that traffic backs up in other places….which just makes it difficult to get around the place

I support them. The price of fuel is affecting everyone. We were already in a cost living crisis, and now with fuel going up and up, people are really going to struggle to live. Fuel will have to be prioritised as realistically people need it to get to work / school / appointments. The Government need to look at ways they can help out here, and actually help not just saying they'll reduce it by a couple of cent!

Local garages here are either very low or out of fuel. Its going to be difficult next week with schools returning. Not impressed with the government's stance on this.

Struggle to live? Hyperbole much. I live in the northwest, statistically one of the poorest parts of Ireland and I see little evidence of anything other than the vast majority of people living very well for themselves. Yes, the cost of fuel may for a time eat up a higher proportion of income, then you spend less on something else. We live lives of such comparative comfort and ease compared to the majority of the rest of the world and especially compared to how we lived even 30 years ago. But the whinging and moaning never abates

Yes, for most people its a few euro extra a week that can be cut back elsewhere. But for people who drive trucks, farmers relying on fuel to work, bus hire etc, it's hundreds if not thousands extra, which they can't make up elsewhere.

If farmers can't afford to farm, hauliers can't afford to keep vehicles on the road, you're going to have much, much bigger problems than what we have now.

The protesters are not asking the government to abolish tax on fuel, just to cap it at a certain point.

For me personally it is in or around 20euro more for a full tank of diesel. I am in the lucky situation where I get 2-3 weeks normal day to day driving out of that but if I had a bigger car, did more mileage or indeed used my car for work it could be hundreds extra per month which is huge. Mortgages went up and up so much that a lot of us are still paying hundreds more now than before and that doesnt hit the sides of the fact electricity etc has gone through the roof and food is ridiculous costs these days. Things are really being pushed and pushed and something eventually has to give in. We are already one of the most expensive countries to live in the EU if not the world and this on top of everything is pushing people to their limits. I still do not agree that this is the correct way to go about things.

Mortgage interest rates that should say sorry.

I agree re people whose livelihoods are directly linked to the price of fuel. But the generalised 'people are struggling to live/suffering terribly' is hyperbole.

Agreed. The bigger issue is what's coming if farmers/hauliers can't keep going.