Organisers of last April’s nationwide fuel protests have said they are prepared to take to the streets within the next two weeks if the Government fails to deliver substantial reductions in fuel prices.
A list of ‘demands’ is to be drafted before the 6 October budget. This list, to be sent to the Government, will include a push for lower general taxation on fuels and a complete scrapping of the carbon tax among its priorities.
The intention to issue the ultimatum was heard of at a meeting on Sunday at the Well in Moate, Co Westmeath. Several hundred people attended the meeting.
The meeting was organised by James Geoghegan, John Dallon and Christopher Duffy, three of the most prominent figures in the week-long wave of fuel protests that swept the nation earlier this year.
Protesters left the roadways after a Government pledge to bring forward a fuel-rebate scheme for the farm, farm-contractor, fishery and road-haulage sectors, as well as excise-duty cuts at forecourts.
James Geoghegan
“We are demanding that the fuel has to come down in the next two weeks; the budget is Tuesday week,” Co Westmeath farmer and agri contractor James Geoghegan said.
“If fuel doesn't come down, we are hitting the road. We need everyone, [from] every walk of life.
“No matter what your job is, doesn't matter whether you're even a school teacher, a nurse, a guard even. You're all burning fuel.
“You have to get out and stop it because this Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government simply do not listen.”
Christopher Duffy
“Look, at the end of the day, it took us to go out on the streets to get anything. Us, you, all of us, and it'll take us again,” Co Meath contractor Christopher Duffy said.
“Now we have until the budget. We put in our requests, our demands. If they are not met in the budget, are we meeting on the roads?
“Is everyone here going to come out? Is everyone here going to make sure their family come?” he asked, with the group responding with an emphatic ‘yes’ to each question.
John Dallon
“You are the people and whatever you come here tonight to us with as regards what you want, we will deliver it to Government,” Co Kildare farmer John Dallon told attendees.
“Whatever document that you want, we will send into Government, there'll be no going in behind closed doors making double deals”.
“We will give them time to reflect on it – not a long time – a bit of time to reflect on it, and if they don't come back, then you can do what you want.
“You want to hit the roads? Hit the roads? Because things are going to be driven to it then if they don't deliver.”
Among the wide-ranging list of topics attendees raised were the abolition of the Universal Social Charge, high construction costs, lifting the local property tax for pensioners, an end to political parties, a reduction in the noise associated with air traffic over Dublin airport and immigration, which featured extensively throughout the meeting.
Strong anti-Government sentiment was echoed from the floor both on the topics of the fuel crisis and the cost of living – among broader issues.
Two Government party speakers addressed the meeting, both representing Fine Gael: Micheál Carrigy TD and Senator Padraic Brady, who was himself involved in the 2019 beef-factory protests.
Opposition parties were not immune from criticism on the night; the Green Party, the Social Democrats and Labour took flack from both the top table and the floor, while Sinn Féin’s Senator Joanne Collins faced heckles during her comments to the meeting.
Stay tuned to the Irish Farmers Journal for more.
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