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\nThe President of the IRHA Ger Hyland said the industry cannot afford to be fobbed off<\/p>\n
Hauliers have threatened to “launch immediate protest actions” if the Government does not make concrete proposals to reduce the cost of fuel.<\/p>\n
The warning came ahead of a meeting between a delegation from the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) and the Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien in Dublin later today.<\/p>\n
The sector is seeking “emergency measures” to address the recent rapid rise in fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Prices at the pumps on many forecourts have surpassed \u20ac2 for a litre of diesel and are close to \u20ac2 for a litre of unleaded petrol.<\/p>\n
The IRHA, which has called for a temporary suspension of the carbon tax and cuts to excise duty on fuel, said it will be looking for “clear and immediate action on escalating fuel prices” at the meeting.<\/p>\n
Hauliers suspended plans to hold protests on 10 March pending the outcome of the talks.<\/p>\n
The President of the IRHA Ger Hyland said the industry cannot afford to be fobbed off with what he described as “empty promises”.<\/p>\n
“Unless we leave that meeting with concrete and immediate proposals to reduce the cost of fuel, hauliers will be left with no choice but to launch immediate protest actions.”<\/p>\n
“Our members are ready,” he added.<\/p>\n
\nThe President of the IRHA Ger Hyland said the industry cannot afford to be fobbed off<\/p>\n
Mr Hyland said in the absence of “urgent intervention” from Government to reduce the tax burden on fuel, “many haulage operators will simply not be able to continue absorbing these rising costs”.<\/p>\n
The IRHA President said the road haulage sector is “the backbone” of the Irish economy, moving the vast majority of goods nationwide.<\/p>\n
Mr Hyland warned that “continued inaction on fuel costs risks supply chain disruption, higher supermarket prices and hauliers being forced out of business”.<\/p>\n
“When transport costs go up, groceries, clothes, building materials and everything in between goes up in price.”<\/p>\n
“Crippling fuel costs are just the latest escalating cost to follow higher tolls, new charges at Dublin Port and a host of other taxes and charges that this government has imposed on small businesses across rural Ireland,” Mr Hyland claimed.<\/p>\n
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\nPrices have soared at the pumps due to the conflict in the Middle East<\/p>\n
Speaking earlier this week, Minister O\u2019Brien said any response to help with rising fuel costs would be “very much scenario-based”.<\/p>\n
“We understand with this situation that’s happening in the Middle East the pressures that businesses, and indeed households, are under due to rising fuel costs,” the minister said.<\/p>\n
“I’m meeting with the hauliers this week to hear directly from them, get some suggestions from them as well, and just assure them that I want, and Government wants, to work with them through this difficult time.”<\/p>\n