Fuel Price Protest: Coimisiún Na Meán Asked To Investigate Media Coverage

The government's suite of solutions will cost over half a billion euro.

The government is facing accusations of being responsible for the week-long fuel price demonstrations that have hit the country.

Sinn Fein is tabling a motion of no confidence tomorrow despite yesterday's announcement of just 500 million euro in fuel supports.

Longford Westmeath rep for the party Sorca Clarke says tensions are at a boiling point:

Midlands Independent TDs Brian Stanley and Carol Nolan are supporting the motion.

Deputy Nolan says: "My own clear sense from talking to people, and this is a view I have long held, is that this Government, and previous Governments, have become so overly focused on the international scene that they have lost sight of the real pain that our own people are in at the national level.”

The government parties have had their ears off the ground for years and that is why they could not hear the stampede of frustration that was building up.

“Billions are being spent annually fulfilling ‘international obligations’ around asylum. Almost another billion was committed to overseas development in Budget 2026 and despite being net contributors to the EU budget since 2013, farmers are still getting shafted with the likes of Mercosur. Not to mention the almost €400 million Government has given directly to Ukraine. The list goes on and on. And now they want our own people to almost drop down in awe at Governments largesse merely because it drops the price of fuel by a couple of cents, and it finally concedes on the ridiculous carbon tax increase

“The reality is this; people are simply sick and tired of being taken for fools. They are sick of being lectured at by an elite clique. They are sick of being talked down to as Government attempts to gaslight them on a daily basis.”

Deputy Stanley says:

"The Government need to learn lessons, as they refused to recognise the scale of the problem of hauliers, and contract farmers, etc operating at a loss.

Throughout the last week the Government continued to make things worse.

Others and I have been raising the fuel cost issue for months. Two weeks before the protests, I wrote to the Minister for Finance Simon Harris and asked him to meet with the sectors and put a package together as many of them were running at a loss.

While the package the Government announced yesterday evening will alleviate some of the pressure it is not going far enough. There is still a cost-of-living crisis for workers and families, and this must be addressed”.

The Communications Minister is calling for Coimisiún na Meán to investigate media coverage of the fuel protests.

Patrick O'Donovan says the content from RTE and other national broadcasters needs to be assessed to determine if it was 'balanced or skewed'.

He says he feels the Government should have been given more opportunities to respond to concerns:

Protestors insist demonstrations will continue along "all the main routes into Dublin" today despite the 505 million euro package revealed last night by the government. 

The N52 in Tullamore and the M7 in Portlaoise have reopened, while the N4 by Mullingar and M6 in Athlone seem be clear as well. 

A protest is expected to take place outside Leinster House tomorrow. 

President of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, Westmeath's Sean McNamara says there growing uncertainty amongst members of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael:

Meanwhile the Irish Beef and Sheep Farmers Association says the government is ignoring its members when it comes to issues in the sector.

Athlone's Eoin Donnelly is the IBLA Western Chair, he says cherry picking the groups its willing to negotiate with is undemocratic:

The Taoiseach says he has no guarantees there won't be protests across the country today, after the Government announced a fuel package worth more than half a billion euro. 

Ministers did a deal with official industry groups to support the agriculture and haulage sectors. 

While the price of a litre of petrol and diesel will fall at the forecourts from midnight tomorrow with another excise cut. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin says any attempts to blockade critical infrastructure will be stopped, but he can't say there will be no protests today:

The government is facing accusations of being responsible for the week-long fuel price demonstrations that have hit the country.

Sinn Fein is tabling a motion of no confidence tomorrow despite yesterday's announcement of just 500 million euro in fuel supports.

Midlands Independent TDs Brian Stanley and Carol Nolan are supporting the motion.

Longford Westmeath rep for Sinn Fein Sorca Clarke says tensions are at a boiling point:

Excise on petrol and disel are now reduced by a further 10 cent with carbon tax increases delayed until Budget day in October.

Longford-Westmeath TD, Fine Gael's Micheal Carrigy says he's been listening to those in his constituency:

Irish Road Haulage Association President, Laois' Ger Hyland, says it's a fair outcome that will help ease the impact of rising fuel costs on the industry. 

He's urging the transport community to have a  look at what's being made available: