Following sometimes violent protests against high fuel prices in Ireland, the government has decided on a further reduction in petrol and diesel taxes. “We have heard you,” Prime Minister Micheál Martin and his deputy Simon Harris declared at a joint press conference on Sunday, addressing the demonstrators. The government had also put together a further aid package of €505 million in an emergency meeting to mitigate the effects of the war with Iran.
“We have already taken action, and today we are taking further action,” said Harris. The most important measure in the new package is a further reduction of diesel and gasoline taxes by 10 cents per liter until the end of July. In March, the government had already decided on a reduction of 20 cents on diesel and 15 cents on gasoline. In addition, the planned increase in the carbon tax is to be postponed until October.
Bild: Paul Faith / AFP
Prime Minister Martin warned against the continuation of blockades of petrol stations and oil depots across the country. Anyone violating the rules will face “the full force of the law.”
The sometimes violent demonstrations against high fuel prices began almost a week ago, spearheaded by farmers and the transport industry. Participants blocked parts of Ireland’s only refinery and restricted access to two fuel depots. In the capital, Dublin, demonstrations caused traffic chaos. Numerous petrol stations, particularly in the west of the country, ran out of fuel due to panic buying.
On Saturday, the country’s top police chief warned that the protests were “endangering the state.” The blockade of “critical national infrastructure such as fuel depots and refineries” had led to massive fuel shortages, said Justin Kelly. This was “directly impacting emergency services such as hospitals, ambulances, and fire departments.”
The protesters were “taking the country hostage” with their “illegal” actions, the Irish police chief criticized. At the same time, additional security forces were deployed to end the blockades.
AFP translated by Blackout News