One third of Ireland’s gas stations are without supply, police are escorting convoys of oil trucks, and several of the country’s highways remain closed amid protests over rising fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East.
“There are 1,600 petrol stations in the Republic of Ireland, of which slightly more than a third are now without stock,” Kevin McParlan, the CEO of Fuels for Ireland, told national broadcaster RTÉ.
That proportion could rise to two-thirds by the end of today, he warned, if authorities haven’t secured access to the country’s only oil refinery and two oil terminals, which are being blockaded by protesters.
Footage posted by Irish police on Saturday showed officers escorting oil trucks departing Whitegate Refinery in southeast Ireland, indicating they had secured at least some access to the refinery.
Ireland’s Emergency National Coordination Group said Friday that fuel supplies for emergency service vehicles “were under increasing pressure,” forcing the fire service to skip some non-life threatening callouts and cease training activities.
Meanwhile, dozens of parked trucks and tractors continued blockading O’Connell Street, one of the main thoroughfares in Dublin city center, on Saturday.
Separate blockades from haulers and farmers angered by the rising diesel prices have also shut down large swathes of the country’s highways, causing five days of disruption.
McParlan added that Ireland still has “loads” of fuel once routes into the refinery and terminals are accessible again, and sought to reassure the public that the situation will be “fine” within a few days.
