An Garda Síochána has declared an “exceptional event” in response to the fuel protests.
This allows the force to double the number of gardaí available to work.
The move came after a meeting between the Garda Commissioner and representative associations.
An “exceptional event” is invoked when the force is dealing with an emergency or unforeseen event and it allows the cancellation of rest days and the redeployment of gardaí to other areas as required.
The use of the mechanism is rare and suggests that extra gardaí will be deployed in response to protests taking place across the country.
The move comes as the Government confirmed a significant and enhanced fuel support package is being finalised after a day of what they described as “constructive engagement” with stakeholders.
The meeting between Government ministers and representatives of the haulage and farming sectors in the Department of Agriculture ended last night with details of the new offer from ministers of further fuel reliefs still to be finalised.
Further meetings today are to take place between the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) and Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, and also between the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon.
Around 500 service stations have run out of diesel and petrol
In a statement, the Government said a significant and enhanced support package is being finalised in detail to alleviate the burden on impacted sectors.
“Ministers stressed that constructive engagement with stakeholders will continue over the weekend and will reconvene again tomorrow to finalise the details of the response.
“They reaffirmed their intention to bring proposals to a conclusion as quickly as possible,” it added.
The leaders of the IHRA and the IFA said they hope details of the Government’s new package would be finalised after today’s meetings, Ger Hyland of the IHRA said he hoped details would come out this evening.
However, ministers had said no announcements would be made until protests and blockades have been stood down although sectoral representatives pointed out they could not wait for this as extra assistance is now needed urgently.
The package, which has yet to be published, has been described by Tánaiste Simon Harris as “significant and substantial”.
Protests continue for a fifth day
Countrywide fuel protests have entered their fifth day, with blockades remaining in place at three fuel-storage facilities across the country.
The protests have led to fuel supplies running out on hundreds of forecourts with around 500 service stations having run out of diesel and petrol.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group, which met yesterday, is urging people to conserve fuel.
The group also said the national ambulance and fire services have put plans in place to manage restricted fuel supplies.
#DBSvcUpdate Road closures remain in place this morning Saturday April 11 as a result of a protest. We are experiencing service disruptions across the Dublin Bus network, please allow additional travel time. More details here:https://t.co/DpUp9u7GwF
— dublinbusnews (@dublinbusnews) April 10, 2026
In Dublin, there continues to be major disruption to bus services.
Dublin Bus continues to operate curtailed services in the city centre but warned customers in a social media post they “are experiencing service disruptions across the Dublin Bus network, please allow additional travel time”.
This includes restricting responses to non-life threatening call-outs.
The group has also called for people attending hospital appointments and care workers to be allowed safe access to their destinations.