Hauliers protest over fuel prices

Hauliers from Northern Ireland are expected to take part in this morning's protest against diesel prices in the Republic.

The slow-moving convoy of lorries from the northeast will begin in the Monaghan and Louth areas at about 6am this morning and converge on the M1 where they will travel in procession to Dublin's city centre.

The convoy aims to be in Dublin by 9am and major disruption is expected during the morning rush hours on the northern approaches to Dublin.

The hauliers are an informal group, some of whom are individual members of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA). They are calling on the Government to reduce excise duty on diesel for the haulage industry, following price increases of about 40 per cent so far this year.

A number of hauliers have already staged protests, including one at Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone on the Border, last week.

At that protest, about 40 lorries from Northern Ireland and the Republic caused severe traffic disruption on the busy Border crossing between Co Monaghan and Co Tyrone.

"People are very angry about the situation," Jimmy Quinn, spokesman for the IRHA, told The Irish Times.

While the IRHA is not involved as a body, Mr Quinn said he expected many of his members to be there as individuals.