The army has been called in to remove heavy vehicles blocking fuel depots as part of a continuing protest across Ireland over rising fuel prices.
The Justice Minister said that large vehicles blocking critical infrastructure would be removed.
Protests over the Irish Government’s response to rising fuel prices entered a third day on Thursday.
Several distinct but co-ordinated protests began on Tuesday involving slow-moving convoys on motorways and blockades on major roads in Dublin and other cities.
Hauliers and agricultural contractors using large trucks and tractors are among protesters disrupting traffic.
On Wednesday, protests escalated with vehicles blocking fuel depots.
In a statement on Thursday morning, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said “the blocking of critical national infrastructure will not be permitted to continue and the assistance of the Defence Forces has been requested”.
He added owners of the vehicles involved in the blockades “should remove them immediately this morning and should not complain later about any damage caused to those vehicles during removal”.
The Defence Forces confirmed they had received a request for assistance from An Garda Siochana and said because “this operation is ongoing” they would not be commenting further.
They also said images of a convoy of Mowag armoured personnel carriers circulating on social media are “the personnel of the 128th Infantry Battalion conducting mission readiness exercises ahead of deployment to Unifil next month”.
The Irish premier, Micheal Martin, told RTE he did not “anticipate” there would be violence if the army and gardai moved in on demonstrators.
The Taoiseach said it is “not in our nature to be engineering any situation that gives rise to conflict”.
Mr Martin said “the Government had to act” once the Whitegate fuel depot in County Cork and the Foynes fuel terminal in County Limerick were blocked.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and Health Service Executive chief executive Anne O’Connor have jointly called for all approaches to medical facilities to be kept clear during the protests.
Ms MacNeill and Ms O’Connor said access was required for emergency services, for patients attending medical appointments and to ensure staff can get to work.
They said: “Attending hospital or receiving treatment in the community, whether in an emergency situation or for a routine appointment, is a vulnerable time for a patient and their family.
“Please respect the critical need for clear and safe access to all healthcare services, to ensure that access to care is never compromised.”
In a statement to the media at Garda headquarters in Dublin, Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon said gardai are now “moving to an enforcement phase” unless protesters “desist and disperse”.
She added: “An Garda Siochana is advising protesters to immediately cease blockades of such critical national infrastructure or face the full rigours of the law.”
The protesters say they have nominated “three or four” spokespeople they want to meet Government leaders.
However, speaking on RTE Radio’s Morning Ireland show, one of them, John Dallon said he does not speak for the protesters blocking fuel depots: “I’m here on the streets of Dublin, I have no voice as regards what’s happening down the country as regards blocking up ports.”
He added: “What’s happening down there is out of my hands, I have no control over what happens.”
Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon told Morning Ireland the Government would meet with farming and haulier representative groups but would not speak to the protesters.
He said: “What is very clear here is that this is a clear choice between democracy or anarchy, and we have a rule of law in this country.
“I completely understand where people’s frustration is from in terms of (the) very high energy shock as a result of the war that has broken out between America, Israel and Iran.”
Dublin Fire Brigade said it had been delayed in responding to emergencies as a result of the protests.
Other coalition figures, including Tanaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris, as well as Mr O’Callaghan, emphasised the importance of access to fuel depots and warned of consequences for unlawful activity.
Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartland said there was a risk to supplies to petrol forecourts as a result of fuel depots being blocked.
The cost of petrol, diesel and marked gas oil (“green diesel”) has soared as a result of the war in the Middle East and impacts on supplies out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Just over two weeks ago, Ireland’s ruling coalition signed off on a range of measures to reduce fuel costs, including a temporary excise duty reduction for motor fuels, expansion of the diesel rebate scheme for hauliers and bus operators, and an extension of the fuel allowance.
It saw an effective reduction of 17 cents for petrol, 22 cents for diesel, and five cents for green diesel – but the savings were largely eroded as the war raged on.