The fuel protest blockades are to continue into a fifth day, as a promised meeting between a select number of representatives and government officials did not produce a deal today.
A number of spokespeople for the protest, mostly consisting of farmers, hauliers, and agricultural contractors, expressed frustration and dismay after they were not allowed to attend today’s meeting at government buildings.
Speaking after today’s meeting, agricultural contractor Christopher Duffy said that the protests would continue as “we’ve got nothing left to lose.”
“Nothing has changed,” he said, adding, “more taxpayers’ money was wasted in there today.”
He said that it was “absolutely appalling” that the people “in there” [government representatives] were “being paid” while there was “nothing for the people”.
“There’s thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of Irish farmers, truckers, business people, builders” in this country who are “absolutely frustrated” he said, adding “they don’t know if they’re going to be in business in a few months time”.
He said that a “serious reduction in our costs” was needed to bring the protests to an end, “because we have nothing left to lose”.
“There’s trucks and tractors sitting around this country that we can’t afford to use,” he added.
IFA President Francie Gorman expressed disappointment with the results of the meeting so far, saying that the government was given a “comprehensive” set of plans to deal with the issues at hand 10 days ago, calling the situation a “national crisis”.
He said that the government “need to be a lot more proactive in how they’re going to address this”.
ICMSA President Denis Drennan said that while he sympathises with the protestors and can “understand” the “financial pressure and frustration” they are facing, but said that “we need to get essential supplies through those ports”. He said that “diesel and animal feed has to be collected”.
Earlier today, John Dallon, a spokesperson for the protestors who was also not allowed to attend the meeting, said that it was the government who was “holding this country to ransom, not the protesters”.
“We are having a peaceful protest”, he said, adding that this was “a constitutional right”. He added that the protests would continue “until we get a result”.
He said that he and the other spokespeople, not allowed into the meeting, had come on the understanding that they were to be let in and “as a voice for the people of Ireland”.
Before the meeting took place at 2 pm today, Ger Hyland, President of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said that those involved in the blockades did not “want to be protesting” but felt that there was no other option.