Irish government announces further fuel supports after protests

Just nowGabija GataveckaiteBBC News NI Dublin correspondentPA MediaCrowds protested against rising fuel prices at the start of AprilThe Irish government has announced further fuel supports for some workers and businesses, after nationwide protests in recent weeks.Irish government ministers are insisting the package of supports was being worked on by the government before the protests, which saw many major motorways, as well as the main street in the nation's capital, brought to effective standstill.The Irish government has in recent months cut excise duty on diesel and petrol but the latest package of measures is aimed at hauliers, farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers.Before nationwide protests kicked off, excise duty had already been cut on petrol and diesel.But in recent weeks since the protests, there have been further cuts to diesel and petrol and a package of supports for farmers, hauliers and coach drivers has been promised.The details of this package were laid out by Irish government ministers on Wednesday at Government buildings in Dublin.The Road Transporters Supports Scheme is worth €120m (£104m) and is for hauliers and bus and coach operators.This scheme will be backdated to March and will apply from when average national diesel prices exceeded €1.90 per litre (£1.65) which is being benchmarked at the point at which fuel costs become unsustainable for commercial transport operators.Payments will be graduated and based on the number of vehicles an operator has on their license.Operators who own up to and including five vehicles will receive €1,350 (£1,170) per vehicle; operators who own six to 20 will receive €790 (£685) and operators with over 21 vehicles will receive €300 (£260).Applications will open in May for the scheme.Second schemeA second scheme announced today called the Fuel Support Scheme is aimed at farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers, costing €100m (£87m).This will also be backdated to cover March to the end of July and will support those who are impacted by hikes to green diesel, used mostly by farmers and agricultural contractors.They will receive a support rate which is equivalent to around 20 euro cents a litre or €200 per 1,000 litres of marked gas oil (also known as green diesel) based on verified usage in 2025.The Irish government is also launching a communications campaign with advice on how households and businesses can manage their energy costs.In total, the Irish government has spent €755m (£654m) on fuel supports in recent months, including today's announcement as well as previous excise duty cuts.Annual planned increases to carbon tax have also been delayed.Irish transport minister Darragh O'Brien said the package is "timebound and targeted"."We will retain the ability to respond further should we need to, but we have to manage the finances in a sustainable way," he said.Irish agriculture minister Martin Heydon said the Irish government are "responding in real time" to challenges.'Shrug your shoulders'However, opposition parties in Dublin are strongly critical of the supports put forward by the government.Speaking in the Dail (Irish parliament) on Wednesday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said "households find it more and more harder to pay their electricity bill".Sinn Fein have called for energy credits, which take money off all household electricity bills, as well as an emergency budget."Your government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, simply shrug your shoulders," she said."How many families have to fall behind their electricity bills before you wake up?"Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin told the opposition leader he "fully rejects" McDonald's analysis.More on this story