Monaghan Retailer confirms delivery of fuel despite depot blockades

A Monaghan fuel retailer received a delivery this afternoon, having lifted the €50 limit he put in place this morning on pump sales, because he didn’t think his deliveries would get through the blockade at the fuel depots. However, he observed that people were panic buying.

At lunchtime today (Friday afternoon), Tommy Martin proprietor of TM Fuels, on the Ballybay Road, Monaghan Town spoke to The Anglo-Celt about the fuel crisis and protests, ahead of the 2pm meeting at national level.

When asked about supply chain issues, Tommy said: “Deliveries hadn't really been a problem until the protests started. I can understand the protests and where they're coming from. We are getting deliveries in because the drivers are working around the protest. Being in the oil business is just not nice at the minute.”

With regard to the price of petrol and diesel in general, Tommy observed: “People have stopped complaining. They've accepted now that it is a fact. Possibly as well as that, they're maybe using less.” He hoped that the good weather was coming too!

Speaking on the impact of soaring prices on his business, he added: “Fuel is very expensive, you know. It's putting extra pressure on us for credit. To try and have a supply for people that need it. Lorry men, couriers and people who are on the road every day need oil.”

“People in general are not complaining. But with the blockage in Monaghan this morning, people are panic buying, which happens regularly.” Business was so brisk, Tommy observed that he had to introduce rations. Observing the people are buying more fuel than they generally would, he added: “I limited it to €50 of fuel this morning, but I lifted that because I got deliveries in that I didn’t expect. I thought that they would be stuck in the blockade.”

However, the fuel merchant said that he could see rations becoming common place: “Oh, definitely. This morning, I was rationing. It depends on your size. I have lorry men who need fuel every day. I was out of one fuel particular fuel earlier. It has added more pressure to the pressure we were under already for supply from the war,” adding that prices kept going, up and up and up, conceding that it was beyond their control.

He expressed the hoped that the Government would engage fully with protestors this afternoon and give them a rebate: “The last time the Government were giving a rebate, it took too long. These people need to know, they need to be in the fields. There’s a very simple way of doing it,” he explained, adding that if a rebate were agreed, contractors could send their fuel invoices to Revenue.

He added that ordinary people weren’t looking for rebates, they just wanted to be able to heat their homes and run their cars: “You know, a bit of common sense is what the Government needs. That's all the people have asked for, a bit of respect and common sense.”