Mayo forecourt supplies run low as long queues form
There were scenes of near-chaos in Castlebar this afternoon as queues of vehicles attempting to fill up with petrol and diesel clogged forecourts, spilt onto surrounding roads, and blocked roundabouts.
Many petrol stations in the town have reported running out of fuel, awaiting deliveries that may be delayed or cancelled entirely amid ongoing fuel protests across the country.
Protesters remain at the fuel depot in Galway Harbour and the entrances to the Whitegate oil refinery in Cork, while blockades at Rosslare Harbour and Europort are causing significant delays.
With these disruptions, warnings have been issued that fuel supplies in the west of Ireland could run critically low.
On busier-than-usual forecourts, motorists were paying around €2.19 per litre for diesel and €1.91 for petrol.
Frustration from some motorists was directed at the Government’s response to the blockades, with people saying it is the authorities who have the power to stop the protests by addressing the rising fuel prices.
A man on his lunch break at Circle K on the Moneen Roundabout said it was a shame to see people panic-buying, but said he supported the protesters.
He added that if the Government temporarily cut excise duty and the carbon tax, the situation would ease, and added that the blame for the current crisis lies at the Government’s feet.
“It’s a real shame that people feel they have to do this, it is a form of panic buying, and it’s been triggered by the actions of the Government,” he said.
“The protesters are absolutely right in what they are doing, and they have every right to do it. They are not just protesting for themselves, they are protesting for all of us.”
The motorist said that, while he did not feel the need to panic buy himself, he had seen images on social media of long queues, which he said were creating a false sense of urgency.
“Some people are probably just joining in the queue when they see the photos, which is unfortunate,” he said.
He added that he believes the “only way to lift the blockade and stop the protest is for the Government to do what is being asked of them and cut the tax that we pay on fuel.”
“That is the answer, and that is all these protesters are asking for. They are protesting on our behalf, and that’s why I back them. It is short-term pain for a long-term gain,” he said.
Outside the Maxol petrol station on Station Road, a queue of eight cars stretched down the street as motorists waited to get onto the already crowded forecourt.
A pedestrian passing by expressed sympathy for the protesters and voiced her frustration over the Taoiseach’s response to the ongoing situation.
“I am completely sympathetic with the hauliers, the farmers, all these people who are keeping food on our table,” she said.
“This war isn’t ours, it is Trump’s, and nothing was said about that on the radio this morning when [the] Taoiseach was being interviewed, he avoided any of that.”
“There is no sign of a long-term plan. This war isn’t going away. This is war. The Strait of Hormuz [is] critical, and I think this morning, Micheál Martin, there are echoes there of Trump. When I heard [him] this morning, I was furious,” she added.
At the Top Oil garage on Moneen Road, cars arrived from all directions as the petrol pumps remained in constant use, with staff on hand to assist and guide vehicles on and off the forecourt.
Outside of the garage a man from Ballina who travels to Sligo for work said he had been caught in traffic for the past two days but was in “full support” of the protesters, “without a doubt”.
He described a journey that normally takes five minutes, taking just over 45, and praised lorry drivers who cleared the way for an ambulance that was coming down the N4.
The man expressed his concerns over the army being brought in and said he thought “the move to employ the army to remove people will set a match to the whole thing.”
Castlebar-based councillor Harry Barrett said the Government had let the situation get out of hand and called for an urgent recall of the Dáil.
“When you go out and meet the farmers and the hauliers, they tell you the devastating losses they are facing due to the increase in fuel prices.
“The Dáil should have been recalled days ago as this is a wartime economy now, and some farmers, drivers, and families need relief immediately.
“Charging up to 65pc tax on diesel in the middle of an emergency is not acceptable, and I will always vote it down,” he said.
The independent councillor also said he is getting calls from “ordinary working families who cannot now afford to fill their oil tanks”.
He said that one woman had called him the other day, who works full-time, and told him she “feels a failure for not being able to heat the family home”.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.