'We’ll be back out again': Cork commuters brace for more roads chaos on Thursday

A Cork participant in the ongoing fuel protests has warned that motorists could face further delays on Thursday if talks are not held with Government representatives.

Protests are expected to take place across the county on Thursday, including in Midleton, Watergrasshill, Ballincollig, Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy, Mallow, Macroom, Clonakilty, Ballyhooly, and on surrounding routes.

Protesters on Wednesday blocked the entry to the Iriving Oil Whitegate in east Cork, which has the capacity to produce 75,000 barrels of oil per day, while several trucks also blocked the Shannonpark Roundabout in Ringaskiddy.

Agricultural equipment supplier Dave Mulcahy, who was among protesters on the M8 on Wednesday morning, told The Echo that while there is “a lot of support for us out there, people are getting frustrated”.

“There are people who don’t understand the whole thing — we had a few hand gestures out the window — but it went well,” said Mr Mulcahy.

“Traffic was never stopped on the motorway; wheels kept rolling, emergency routes were kept open, and cars were able to pass us.

“We’ll see what happens now, if there’ll be talks — but if not, we’ll be back out again.” 

 In a public statement issued on Wednesday afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that members of the Government will not engage with protesters but rather “continue to engage with nationally constituted representative organisations" on the matter.

“We live in a parliamentary democracy, we have elected representatives, and the Government deals and works with, and engages in normal circumstances with the national organisations, and that will continue to be the case. There will be no deviation from that,” said Mr Martin.

“The protests at the moment are wrong. Anybody who simply parks a truck in the middle of nowhere, there should be and will be penalties.

“To prevent mobility, to prevent people from accessing livelihoods, medical appointments, and disrupting day-to-day activities is wrong, and is a wrong form of protest.”