Fuel Protests: Some motorway blockages remain as public transport back up and running

Michael Bolton, Sarah Slater, and PA.

10.10am

There are a number of tailbacks in towns across Mayo this morning as the national fuel protests continue.

Traffic delays are being reported in Castlebar and Ballina with a large presence of trucks, tractors and commercial vehicles in both towns.

Traffic is at a standstill in Ballina town centre this morning as the protest continues.

10.08am

Sean O’Neill of Transport Infrastructure Ireland has urged motorway protestors to keep hard shoulders clear for emergency vehicles and highlighted how the rolling protests across the Irish road network are fluid and evolving.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio before 9am, he said that “on the M1 southbound, there is congestion between junction 12 and junction 9, so that’s earlier at Drogheda, and that’s a go slow, there are people protesting there.

“And then on the M3 we have a full closure now, which wasn’t fully closed earlier today, and that is between Kells junction 11 southbound and junction N9 in Navan is fully closed in both directions. He said there was “a go-slow movement” on the M7 leading onto the Long Mile Road this morning, but it was cleared, although not before it caused “significant congestion”.

He added that there was also a go-slow on the N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy, “Anyone listening and people out on the network, we do ask that they keep the hard shoulder open. It’s for emergency vehicles and emergency trips. Whatever your actions are on the motorway network, please keep those open, because it’s just unacceptable. People need those it’s for emergency needs.”

9.40am

Volunteers of a soup kitchen say they were intimidated in Dublin at the weekend’s fuel protest.

The Muslim Sisters of Éire host a weekly soup run on O'Connell Street, to provide food and hot meals to people experiencing homelessness.

The charity says last week's run 'took a deeply upsetting turn' when they experienced verbal abuse from a group of people protesting outside the GPO.

Chairperson Lorraine O’Connor says the situation turned hostile, and thanked the homeless community for stepping up to protect them.

9.08am

The chief executive of Fuels For Ireland Kevin McPartlan, has said fuel trucks are moving around the country following the lifting of blockades over the weekend but he warned that it could take 10 days before supplies return to normal levels and he called for secure access to supplies for his members following days of what he said ere “intimidation and threats and insults to drivers”.

He said drivers had been identified and intimidated by protesters, and family members had been contacted “when they’re sitting waiting to load. It’s really poor. I’m not suggesting that everybody involved in protests is involved in that stuff but there are [some] still doing that.”

He told Morning Ireland that the next key thing “is to make sure that the road network across the country is unhindered so we can actually get fuel to the people who need it.”

He said that in the long term “what has happened over the last few days has kind of created a precedent that people could see these as targets for the future so I think they’re going to need to be conversations around the security of those sites and the way the State manages that that security.”

8.25pm

A spokesman for the Dublin fuel protest has said that they “achieved something small” in €505 million worth of government measures, but said he has “no control” over further protests.

Blockades at fuel depots and Ireland’s only oil refinery have been lifted, but traffic disruption continued in parts of the country on Monday due to some protests.

“Nobody knows what the plan is, that’s being straight out there,” said John Dallon, a Kildare farmer and agriculture contractor who was at the Dublin protest.

He said that he welcomed the reduction in green diesel, but the government “should have done something” on kerosene.

“This protest is out of my hands, it escalated to somewhat so big, and I don’t know where it’s going to end, but it’s the government’s fault,” he told Newstalk radio on Monday.

“We achieved something small, but this is something way bigger now, and I have no control over it, and that’s exactly where I’m coming from.

“It’s gone to the stage that it seems like, looking out there, that the people of the island of Ireland have no confidence in this government anymore.”

8.10am

The following Bus Éireann routes have been cancelled.

Route 101

09:00 Dublin to Drogheda - Cancelled

09:40 Dublin to Drogheda - Cancelled

Route 105

09:45 Navan Rd Stn to Drogheda - Cancelled

Route 109

08:15 Dublin to Dunshaughlin - Cancelled

10:25 Dunshaughlin to Dublin - Cancelled

Route 160

Delayed departures may be expected

Route 167

Delayed departures may be expected

Route 168

07:59 Annagassan to Dundalk - Cancelled

Route 354

09:30 The Clock Tower to Dunmore East - Cancelled

10:20 Dunmore East to The Clock Tower - Cancelled

Route NX

08:00 Navan to Dublin - Cancelled

08:40 Navan to Dublin - Cancelled

Route B1

7.53am

Slow-moving convoys and road blockages by fuel protestors are continuing this morning.

In Meath, there is a full road closure on the M3/N3 between Junction 11 Kells and Junction 9 Navan going southbound.

Significant delays are likely, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland is advising drivers to use a different route.

In Cavan, the N3 southbound is solid behind a convoy on the Kells side of Virginia.

In Kildare, the M9 northbound is busy at Jctn 3, Athy, where protestors have gathered.

In Louth, there are convoys on the M1 southbound before Jctn 14 Ardee and Jctn 12 Dunleer.

In Cork, the N28 Ringaskiddy Rd westbound is busy between Shanbally Cross and a protest near Rafeen bridge.

The opposition is slamming the decision to call off two practical exams on Monday

The State Examinations Commission is deferring Leaving Cert Music and Junior Cycle Home Economics' practical examinations.

Social Democrats Education spokesperson Jen Cummins says it's come to late to call off today's practical exams.

"My understanding is that they were nervous that not only students but examiners would not be able to make it to the schools.

"If they had those concerns over the weekend, they should have made that decision sooner. Why leave it to the last minute, where stidents are coming to school and only finding out in the last minute they have cancelled an exam.

The M9 is currently blocked off northbound at Junction 3 Athy, and traffic is being diverted off to the old N9 up to Kilcullen in Kildare.

There are long queues heading into Kilcullen as a result.

The N81 in Wicklow is operating with a slow go protest heading north from Hollywood in the Blessington direction, with a large amount of tractors involved.

The Garda Commissioner has extended the declaration of an 'exceptional event' until Tuesday.

Justin Kelly has directed that all rest days are cancelled until 7 pm on Tuesday, and an extension from 8 pm tonight.

'Exceptional Events' are declared when the Commissioner decides there is a security threat against the state.

It is understood Gardaí were informed by their representative bodies last night of the extension.

Dublin Bus is back operating as normal on Monday morning.

The Luas Red and Green Line is also operating as normal.