What do the truckers protesting in Dublin want?

The People of Ireland Against Fuel Prices says it is a group of “professional drivers, hauliers, farmers, bus operators, taxis and plant operators” who want to change fuel taxes and charges for themselves and “everyone in Ireland”.

The group emerged from a previous group known as The Irish Trucker and Haulage Association Against Fuel Prices.

Organising on Facebook the group has heavily criticised recent price increases on fuel as well as a proposed carbon tax increase that is due to come into effect on May 1st.

The group’s demands include price caps on petrol, diesel and home heating fuel, the scrapping of the carbon tax and the resignation of Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.

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They want a maximum ceiling of €1.10 put on the price of a litre of petrol, €1.20 per litre of diesel and 65c per litre of home heating oil.

They point out that the Department of Finance has acknowledged taxes and charges account for 55 per cent of the cost of petrol and 51 per cent of diesel.

The protestors are not members of the Irish Road Haulage Association whose president Eugene Drennan has not backed the protest action.

Irish Road Haulage Association

Mr Drennan said the focus on holding prices to set levels was somewhat irrelevant when the “recent issue was to get enough of it”. He said diesel in Ireland arrives here from the Gulf states and from Russia, and Russia was “by far the better”.

Mr Drennan said the concern was that sanctions would hit the supply before a flotilla of ships laden with oil was bound for Ireland.

In relation to price he said the Irish Road Haulage Association was in discussions with the Government and had negotiated a rebate for hauliers of €100 per licensed vehicle, per week, for the next eight weeks. For an operation with 10 trucks that would amount to €8,000 which he said was “a help”.

He also said the association was in discussions on the carbon tax and the current “low rate” of rebate on the cost of diesel paid to truckers, which did not seem to be considered by the protesters.

Mr Drennan said the association had been key to the recent decision by Government to reduce the cost of fuel by 15 to 20 cent per litre on retail forecourts.

He also said the world price of oil had fallen in recent days and this would start to be reflected in price at the pumps in coming days.