Search the record

having serious conversations about costs is that ordinary people had to take to the streets to be heard. The recent fuel protests did not happen by accident. They happened because people felt ignored and because workers, families, farmers, fishermen and small business owners simply could not take … backbone of this country and they are barely surviving. They are the very people who took to the streets for the fuel protests. They were not protesting for the sake of it but because filling their car, lorry, bus, tractor or fishing vessel had become unaffordable, heating their

This amendment seeks to delete lines 25 to 40. Back in April at the height of what are now called the fuel protests, the Minister added fuel to a volatile situation. He essentially called for the Defence Forces to be deployed to assist gardaí in removing fuel protest

very clear methodology we outlined over the fuel protest was to scrap carbon tax because that would have provided an immediate relief to farmers and contractors who desperately needed it. Instead we are now a month on from the fuel protest at a time when the cost

Tóibín, and the Independents group did not cover themselves in glory when voting for the Government's shamefully inadequate measures that triggered the fuel protests. Sinn Féin stood almost alone. Only one left Independent, Deputy Charles Ward, stood with us in opposing those shamefully weak measures that directly … fuel protests. In April, after weeks of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael refusing to listen, ordinary people rose up in protest and took to the streets. They forced the Government to reduce the cost of petrol and diesel. They had to fight hard for the little relief they

barely scratched the surface of what was needed. It was the catalyst that drove people onto the streets in their thousands in the fuel protests. We only have to look at it through the eyes of those at the sharpest end. Farmers and farm contractors were watching … message from this Government. That message demanded a response and, by God, did this Government get that response in the form of the fuel protests. All the disruption, all the tension and all the loss of income could have been avoided if the Government had listened. Instead

them. The Government now speaks about disruption but this was entirely foreseeable. We saw this level of disconnect at the time of the fuel protests, which was the time the Government did not engage or listen to people, and particularly businesses which are finding it so difficult … mark and setting up businesses but we need more supports for those people. What happened yesterday and certainly what happened during the fuel protests should have been anticipated and foreseeable but it was not, unfortunately. The Government's priorities and its focus need to change urgently. It needs

These are the realities that everyone else bar the Government realises are happening. There was support for those who were out on the fuel protests. Why? It was because people are annoyed and browned off - I think that is the nicest way I can put it - about … game. I have to ask not about what the Government has done but about what it was forced to do by the fuel protesters. That is the reality. They had support on the street because every man, woman and child is fed up with the pressure they

Deputy very much for the invitation but I will be working here on the budget in relation to fuel and energy, so I do not need to attend a protest meeting. What I need to do is make sure that people in this country do not feel … decisions that will help them. By the way, I have also spoken to a number of the people who were involved in the fuel protests. I met many of them at the ploughing. I met many people at the ploughing and at the Longford show with Deputy Carrigy

over a month since the fuel protests and not a single cent of the Government’s fuel subsidy has been paid out to farmers and contractors. This scheme was announced to great fanfare to quell the protests, but the application process only opened in recent days. Farmers … year. They are then paid a subsidy based on five fifths of their returns from the previous year. Farmers do not use fuel evenly across the year. It is heavily concentrated in the spring and in the summer, at a time when silage needs to be cut, fields

that their kids can have enough to eat it. It is absolutely scandalous. Many of these people rightly went out to support the fuel protests. There was a collection taken in the flats, and they brought down sandwiches, tea and coffee to the protesters to say "Fair play … panels, free attic insulation and so on. That would move us off the reliance on fossil fuels that the Government has got us into. However, there is a lesson from the protests which is that unless you can cause significant destructive action, if you are not a fast

specified include a lot of serious stuff that people would recognise as terrorism but also include criminal damage and endangering traffic. Could the fuel protests have been defined as terrorist activity? They were potentially endangering traffic under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The definition … unduly compelling a government or an international organisation to perform or abstain from performing an act", when obviously these protests were designed to call for a cap on fuel prices among other things, can these people be defined as terrorists? Regarding criminal damage, attempting to get into Shannon

divvy up the money raised from a lower amount of taxation? One of the issues that has come to the fore from the fuel protest and so on, is that enormous taxes are being taken from fuel throughout the country by the Government. It has reached the point

have seen good, decent people protest recently to stand up against the cost of living during the fuel protests. Instead of being on the side of workers - the very people who keep this country running - threats were issued by Ministers who chose escalation over talks. We need

range of practical measures to ease the pressure on households. The Government voted down these proposals. In recent months, we saw fuel protests across the country. These protests highlighted the very real financial pressure many people are under. I supported the measures brought forward by Government because those … people needed relief. I voted for that package. Fuel is only one part of the cost-of-living crisis, however. There are thousands of people who will never organise a protest. There are families quietly struggling behind the front door of their home. If I am a mother

consensus. That makes no sense, because it leads to a scarcity of fuel and to more prices going up. Surely we can all agree that this is not the correct way to protest because you damage jobs and the economy. That is a reasonable point to make … being targeted and intimidated. These are elements. The vast majority of those involved are reasonable, decent people who, correctly, were highlighting and identifying fuel protests, but it is disturbing. I accept fully that the Opposition wants the Government to get a kicking. I do not expect the Deputy

past year, soaring fuel prices have put huge pressure on ordinary households that are struggling to keep up. That pressure came to a head in April. After weeks of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael refusing to listen, ordinary people rose up in protest. They were forced to take … shoot up to over €2 and petrol will hit something similar. It is clear that the Government has not learned anything from the fuel protests or the pressure that ordinary people are under. Did the Taoiseach not see the Barnardos report that was released just yesterday? It told

Government takes them on board and listens because there is a much bigger issue at stake here than just dealing with the fuel protests. It was so interesting that people who would normally not align with or support protests of this kind were so supportive of them … their own lives. It was like these protests became an extension of what their lived experiences were and how they were struggling. The reason they were struggling may have been different and may not necessarily have been due to fuel costs but families are struggling and we have

right channels being used to promote the protests and far-right individuals controlling WhatsApp groups and pages, apparently, such as the Dublin fuel protest page. These are people who have absolutely nothing to do with rural contractors. One of them lives in Dublin 15. I know her. These

pressure on his colleagues, a meeting should happen and we should come up with a policy that actually delivers this. Recently we had fuel protests involving farm contractors, hauliers, bus and coach operators, farmers as well as fishermen, taxi drivers and many other workers. I never … acceptance of the cost-of-living and cost-of-fuel disaster we are going through. It goes without saying that many are not happy with what the Government was forced to do through these protests. If we are talking about rural Ireland and farming, this

also commend union leaders for the work they have done. Maybe more robust action will be needed in the future. We saw the fuel protests, which involved workers at the end of their tethers who had been given no choice. We see the huge impact of increases

even know long term where that will go. Obviously, it is very hard not to talk at this point in time about the fuel protests. That is accepting that we are not in a world where renewables can offer solutions that are necessary as regards vehicular transport from … view of farmers and hauliers at this point in time. We know, however, that we could separate out our reliance on fossil fuels from an energy production point of view. That, at least from the State's point of view, would be a real win but again when

small business people – nearly everyone – are really frustrated with the Government’s approach to helping people in this crisis. Following the fuel protests and growing public anger, the Government introduced limited temporary measures. They were welcomed by the people but now when we see the price of diesel … places, they are like snow off a ditch. They are gone and there is no impact at all from them. The reality is fuel is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Workers need to get to work. Farmers need machinery to plough and till their lands

watching their homes crumbling and looking at the cracks in the wall with the wind coming through them. I went to the fuel protests in Mayo and did not see any Government TDs there. Instead, the Minister for justice threatened to send the Defence Forces against … into taking drastic action to save their businesses. They did not want to be there. They do not want to be on these protests. What were they supposed to do to get the attention of the Government and have their pleas heard? They are deeply disappointed about people

welcoming Christy Hussey and Conor Burke to the Public Gallery. Since this morning, a 15-year-old child has been sitting in protest outside the gates of Leinster House. Cara Darmody is highlighting the fact that the State breaking its own law. I refer to the law which … people who write the laws of this country in this House break them outside the gates? The Taoiseach has accused the recent fuel protesters, the Irish men and Irish women fighting for their livelihoods, of committing national sabotage. Surely it is sabotage to have 22,000 children waiting

have to protect them also and we have to talk about them here as many have not. When I was at the fuel protests I spoke to many hard-working employers and employee. There was a unity at those peaceful protests. These were farm operators, builders, taxi drivers … things got little bit worse as the week went on but it was not too bad in fairness. A protest is a protest and I believe in democracy as long as it is peaceful. What I am saying is that I do have very serious concerns. There

Coimisiún na Meán were minuted; and if he will publish any existing minutes relating to this engagement in the wake of the April fuel protests. [40697/26

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if he made further contact with Coimisiún na Meán to seek investigations relating to the April fuel protests (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40698/26

will release the answers he received from his query (details supplied) on the possibility of investigations on reporting surrounding April's fuel protests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40700/26

operations should take place; her views on whether this process was adequately followed in terms of the recent request in relation to fuel protests; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33418/26

Home Affairs and Migration the number of summonses that have been issued to farmers and protestors who were part of the price of fuel protests. [29286/26

Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to hold an investigation into the manner in which the 'price of fuel protests' were policed; and if he will investigate the use of pepper spray and physical force on protests that were, in the vast majority

Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to provide an update on the impact that the intervention of the Defence Forces in the current fuel protests will have on public expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27571/26

weekly windfall to the Exchequer resulting from the recent surge in fuel prices to €2 per litre; if, in view of the ongoing fuel protests and the severe financial strain on rural commuters, hauliers, and farmers, if he will immediately suspend the planned carbon tax increases and introduce

Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Transport in light of the significant nationwide protests and blockades that occurred between 7 and 14 April 2026, which caused widespread disruption nationally, including critical fuel infrastructure (details supplied), the status of negotiations with grassroots transport operators regarding their demands