Blockages Should Stop before Defence Force intervention necessary - Green Party

It should not have taken the blocking of a fuel depot for the government to act.

Green Party Leader, Roderic O’Gorman TD, and Green Party Chair, Cllr Janet Horner, have called on fuel protesters to end their blockage ahead of planned interventions from the Defence Forces. 

Reacting to the Minister for Justice’s decision this morning to remove blockades on fuel and water infrastructure, Cllr Horner said:

“It should not have taken the blocking of a fuel depot for the government to act. The fact that the very people who are suffering because of this energy crisis were being prevented from going to work, from fulfilling care duties, from going to hospital appointments should have been enough.

The Defence Forces and Gardai should also now move to unblock paths to public transport around the country, allowing for the restoration of all public transport which is essential for all workers, and for the functioning of our hospitals and essential care work.

I reiterate what I said yesterday; the fault for this energy crisis lies at the door of Presidents Trump and Netanyahu. The protesters should direct their anger at their embassies, not at those who are suffering the real effects of this in the increase in household bills”.

Deputy O’Gorman called on the protesters to end their blockades, adding:

“Irish people need to be able to travel and access basic services like fuel. The right to protest is not a right to hold people to ransom. Those leading the protests should look at the impact of their actions on people around the country, and stop blocking roads, public transport and fuel depots.” 

“If the Gardaí need to be provided with extra support in keeping roads and basic services open, then that’s the right thing to do - vulnerable people shouldn’t be at risk of not being able to travel to the doctor, water supplies cannot be threatened for lack of fuel.”

Ahead of the Dáil’s return next week, Deputy O’Gorman also called for further energy supports to be provided to people who are struggling the most because of the conflict in the Middle East:

“The Green Party will continue to pressure the Government to do more to address the fuel crisis by providing targeted energy credits for the squeezed middle and additional support payments for the most vulnerable.”