‘We want to be heard,’ says fuel protester as traffic disruption continues

“We want to be heard,” a fuel protester has said as disruption and delays on Irish motorways entered a third day.

Shane Bowhan, from Co Louth, who operates a small minibus company, said he was joining the demonstration because the rise in fuel prices is “just not viable”.

HGV and tractor drivers have continued to impede journeys to express their discontent with the Government’s response to surging fuel prices as a result of the war in Iran.

Protests that began as slow-moving convoys have escalated to include the blockading of fuel depots and the Whitegate oil refinery in Co Cork.

Speaking on the N1 in Dundalk, Mr Bowhan said: “My fuel bill has gone from 550 euros to 600 euros a week extra.

“I know it doesn’t sound like much, I’m only a year-and-a-half in business, I’m running three minibuses, there’s other operators out there with 40, 50 buses, about 20-grand deficit.

“So we have to come out and do something, I’m only making a small wage getting started, so that 500, 600 euro that I’m paying extra, that’s my wage gone for the week.

“So what’s the point in doing it if I’m going to do it for free?

“We have to go out and do something.”

He said the Government needs to “step up and admit that there’s a problem”.

“Talk to somebody, talk to the lads that’s up in Dublin,” Mr Bowhan said.

“They need to reach out. They don’t want to listen to us. They’re dealing with IRHA (Irish Road Haulage Association) and the CTTC (Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland) and everything, they’re not dealing with the people that’s actually in trouble.

“Those associations don’t want to know about us, they don’t care.

“So we’re out here to try and put in our word, we want to be heard.”

On Thursday gardai said the demonstrations had moved from a protest to a “blockade” and pledged to exert the “full rigours of the law” on anyone blocking critical national infrastructure.

The Irish Defence Forces have been asked for assistance by gardai in potentially managing large vehicles involved.

Mr Bowhan said he and some other demonstrators spoke to Gards when on the road who were “very friendly” and “very helpful”.

He said: “The Gards are nothing but nice to us.

“I’d like to think that the army is going to be the same, and fair enough, if they’re called out here, they have to come out, that’s fine.

“I’d like to think that we have the same sort of respect the Gards have, and let us do our protest, which we’re entitled to do.”

Mr Bowhan added: “I know it’s inconvenient, and I know it’s hard.

“We’re trying to facilitate everyone.

“We left space over here if an emergency vehicle came, a medical vehicle came a while ago, and we freed out space to let him on to the motorway, and he had a free motorway the whole way up, we probably saved them time in the long run.

“I understand people have to go to airports and everything else, but this is what we have to do, you know we’re here, leave a little bit earlier, allow for it, there’s only a 10-minute delay on this road.”