{"id":396347,"date":"2026-04-13T14:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/396347\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T14:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:30:08","slug":"all-motorways-across-the-country-are-now-clear-of-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/396347\/","title":{"rendered":"All motorways across the country are now clear of protests"},"content":{"rendered":"

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has said that all motorways across the country are now clear.
\nPublic transport is back up and running as normal
\nGovernment to face no-confidence motion over fuel costs
\nGovernment to undertake \u2018fundamental security review\u2019 after fuel protests
\nSpokesperson for protestors said they have “achieved something small”.
\nGarda Commissioner has directed that all rest days be cancelled until 7 pm tomorrow.
\nGo-slow fuel protest by trucks on the N4 main dual carriageway south of Sligo town.
\nMEP calls for Government to introduce free public transport<\/p>\n

3:15pm<\/p>\n

Ireland South MEP Michael McNamara is calling for the Government to introduce free public transport across Ireland, following the IMF\u2019s warning that \u201call roads lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide\u201d should the conflict in the Middle East continue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government\u2019s call on households to cut fuel use is meaningless unless it concentrates on encouraging the public to use alternatives,\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic transport needs to be made free for users for the next six months. This would cost up to \u20ac275 million, based on a 2023 report commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA) from Ernst and Young.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0Fuel Cost protest by Hauliers and farmers forces Dublin buses to stack from Dawson St to O\u2019Connell Bridge, in Dublin. Photo: Sam Boal\/ Collins<\/p>\n

\u201cIt must be acknowledged that this is a significant sum of money, but it is less than the amount the Government is expecting to spend on the upcoming six-month EU Presidency and is small compared to the billions of euros thrown around by the Government during the Covid era.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaking buses, trams and trains free is a relatively easy measure for the Government to implement and one that will make a difference to ordinary people, as it will result in a new focus on public transport alternatives,\u201d McNamara said.<\/p>\n

2:30pm<\/p>\n

The vote of no confidence to be tabled against the government is a \u201cbig test\u201d for independents who are part of the coalition, a TD has said.<\/p>\n

Sinn F\u00e9in, the country’s largest opposition party, are tabling the motion of no confidence in the Government on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

It criticises the government for not reconvening the D\u00e1il last week and not engaging directly with the protesters, while also calling on the government to take the \u201cmaximum action necessary\u201d to cut fuel prices.<\/p>\n

The Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland have said they would back the motion.<\/p>\n

It is unclear how several independents who have supported the Fianna F\u00e1il-Fine Gael coalition government will vote.<\/p>\n

People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy said government-supporting independents will need to \u201cdecide which side they are on\u201d.<\/p>\n

2:18pm<\/p>\n

Transport Infrastructure Ireland said that all motorways across the country are now clear of protests.<\/p>\n

The Irish Examiner<\/a> reports that several rolling protests slowed traffic during rush hour this morning, particularly around Dublin, all of these have cleared.<\/p>\n

Protest activity caused significant disruption on key Cork routes on Friday morning, with traffic delays reported on the N28, particularly around the Shannon Park roundabout.<\/p>\n

The junction is a critical access point for the Port of Cork and a number of major pharmaceutical companies, leading to knock-on delays for commuters and commercial traffic.<\/p>\n

However, by 10am, protesters had lifted blockades around Cork city, allowing traffic to resume somewhat normally.<\/p>\n

A strong garda presence remained in place at several key locations, including the Lakeview roundabout on the N25, as authorities continued to manage the situation.<\/p>\n

Separately, the N25 was temporarily closed around lunchtime to allow the movement of seven oil tankers under garda escort.<\/p>\n

The convoy was facilitating the transportation of fuel from the Whitegate refinery, as efforts continue to maintain supply chains amid ongoing disruption.<\/p>\n

In Meath, the M3\/N3 between Junction 11 Kells and Junction 9 Navan, going southbound has been reopened as well.<\/p>\n

ROAD CLOSURE UPDATE!<\/p>\n

M3 : ROAD REOPENED<\/p>\n

M3\/N3 between J11 – KELLS and J09 – NAVAN Direction Southbound<\/p>\n

Enjoy your journey.#TIITraffic<\/a> @GardaTraffic<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ULKrrHW4dT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 TII Traffic (@TIITraffic) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

1:30pm<\/p>\n

There is another go-slow fuel protest by trucks on the N4 main dual carriageway south of Sligo town, which started at 7.30am this morning.<\/p>\n

Trucks held up traffic in both directions, causing traffic disruption at rush hour. Garda\u00ed are on scene and directing traffic along alternative routes.<\/p>\n

1:25pm<\/p>\n

The chief executive of business group Dublin Town said O\u2019Connell Street must never again be closed off in the same fashion.<\/p>\n

Large-scale, future lengthy protests in the capital should take place at a designated site away from O\u2019Connell Street, Richard Guiney said.<\/p>\n

Dublin Town represents over 2,500 businesses in the City centre and works to improve the city’s commercial environment, promote it as a shopping and leisure destination, and runs initiatives to attract visitors.<\/p>\n

Mr Guiney said while the organisation wholeheartedly accepts the right to peaceful protest, particularly in the capital city, what had transpired during the fuel protests on O\u2019Connell Street, its premier artery, had been utterly unacceptable<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dublin Town chief executive Richard Guiney said protests in Dublin City should take place at a designated site away from O\u2019Connell Street. Photo: Photocall Ireland.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile totally accepting the need and right to protest in the capital city, disrupting public transport and bringing its major thoroughfare to a halt for a protracted period of time is simply wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cBusiness was impacted, public transport was disrupted, and hospital appointments were missed.\u00a0 In other parts of the country, protesters minimised such disruption, but not in Dublin.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecent changes to traffic routes ensured that the closure of O\u2019Connell Street effectively paralysed College Green, Henry Street, Middle Abbey Street and a huge area of Dublin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree quarters of its customer base uses public transport to access the City centre, and O\u2019Connell Street feeds people to all kinds of businesses and public facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe protest led to a decline in footfall in the city centre during the Easter school holidays as well as disrupting medical schedules in nearby hospitals and severely discommoding many commuters, shoppers and tourists,” he said.<\/p>\n

1pm<\/p>\n

The Garda Commissioner sent a message to all Garda personnel during the protests saying: “Since the start of the fuel protests, you have been working hard to deal with many challenging policing situations all across the country.\u00a0 You have done this with great professionalism and dedication, and I wish to thank you all sincerely for this. I completely understand the really difficult situations many of you have faced with.<\/p>\n

“Thanks to your efforts we have broken the illegal blockades which were interfering with access to our critical national infrastructure. This has meant that our emergency services, hospital and fuel supply network were able to continue to operate.<\/p>\n

“I also want to thank you for responding to our calls for additional personnel needed to deal with this situation.\u00a0 Again, I appreciate many of you made personal sacrifices to answer this call to duty.\u00a0 Your Representative Associations are to be complimented for the level of co-operation that they have provided during this unprecedented period.<\/p>\n

“I am concerned to hear about attempts in person and online to threaten and intimidate Garda\u00ed who are engaged in their lawful work. I have viewed some of this online material myself and have been absolutely appalled by it. This will not be tolerated and will be fully investigated to bring those involved to justice.”<\/p>\n

Today, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly had this message for Garda personnel. pic.twitter.com\/fskmylYCds<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na (@GardaTraffic) April 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

12:20pm<\/p>\n

Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, acknowledged there was \u201cfrustration out there\u201d and that people had been driven to protest due to \u201ca really significant shock to their energy bills\u201d.<\/p>\n

As the Irish Examiner<\/a> reports, Mr Heydon said that a narrative had formed on social media that the government \u201cdon\u2019t understand\u201d and was \u201cnot listening\u201d, but he said they were \u201creacting in real-time\u201d to the war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would very much counter that, we are reacting in real-time, but as a government, we absolutely listen and have to respond when an awful lot of people protest \u2013 protests and blockades are two different things,\u201d he told\u00a0.<\/p>\n

\u201cI absolutely, fundamentally respect and will passionately fight for people\u2019s right to protest and tell me they disagree with me, but when people block critical infrastructure, that is different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Minister Heydon said that a narrative had formed on social media that the government \u201cdon\u2019t understand\u201d and was \u201cnot listening\u201d. Photo: PA Archive\/PA Images<\/p>\n

Mr Heydon said that, along with the 7.2c cut on excise on green diesel, he had secured a new \u20ac100 million subsidy scheme for high fuel users, which would see a further cut of 20c a litre.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernment has put \u20ac100 million behind us, the same way they put \u20ac140 million behind the package for the hauliers, at the same time as helping every citizen of the state who drives a car or who relies on the cost of white diesel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now see further reductions, cumulatively now: 32c per litre is the reduction on diesel; 27c per litre is the reduction on petrol, as well as the clearing of the remaining excise on green diesel and the subsidy on top of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

11:18am<\/p>\n

A convoy of slow-moving vehicles is now moving into the Tallaght area and will soon be reaching the M50 interchange.<\/p>\n

10.17am<\/p>\n

A Facebook page where information about the protests had been shared posted information on Sunday night, both suggesting the protests should continue on Monday and that \u201call protestors and garda\u00ed go home\u201d.<\/p>\n

Although blockades at fuel depots and Ireland\u2019s only oil refinery have been lifted, smaller protests continued on motorways around Dublin.<\/p>\n

Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary said the protesters had not won as engagement had been ongoing with farming and transport representative groups on further support before the protests began on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

He told Raidio na Gaeltachta that the two packages announced by the Irish government were among the largest in Europe, and that the measures would have an influence on the government\u2019s budget in October.<\/p>\n

10.10am<\/p>\n

There are a number of tailbacks in towns across Mayo this morning as the national fuel protests continue.<\/p>\n

Traffic delays are being reported in Castlebar and Ballina with a large presence of trucks, tractors and commercial vehicles in both towns.<\/p>\n

Traffic is at a standstill in Ballina town centre this morning as the protest continues.<\/p>\n

10.08am<\/p>\n

Sean O\u2019Neill 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.<\/p>\n

Speaking on RT\u00c9 Radio before 9am, he said that \u201con the M1 southbound, there is congestion between junction 12 and junction 9, so that\u2019s earlier at Drogheda, and that\u2019s a go slow, there are people protesting there.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then on the M3 we have a full closure now, which wasn\u2019t 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 \u201ca go-slow movement\u201d on the M7 leading onto the Long Mile Road this morning, but it was cleared, although not before it caused \u201csignificant congestion\u201d.<\/p>\n

He added that there was also a go-slow on the N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy, \u201cAnyone listening and people out on the network, we do ask that they keep the hard shoulder open. It\u2019s for emergency vehicles and emergency trips. Whatever your actions are on the motorway network, please keep those open, because it\u2019s just unacceptable. People need those it\u2019s for emergency needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

9.40am<\/p>\n

Volunteers of a soup kitchen say they were intimidated in Dublin at the weekend\u2019s fuel protest.<\/p>\n

The Muslim Sisters of \u00c9ire host a weekly soup run on O’Connell Street, to provide food and hot meals to people experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Chairperson Lorraine O\u2019Connor says the situation turned hostile, and thanked the homeless community for stepping up to protect them.<\/p>\n

9.08am<\/p>\n

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 \u201cintimidation and threats and insults to drivers\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said drivers had been identified and intimidated by protesters, and family members had been contacted \u201cwhen they\u2019re sitting waiting to load. It\u2019s really poor. I\u2019m not suggesting that everybody involved in protests is involved in that stuff but there are [some] still doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n

He told Morning Ireland that the next key thing \u201cis to make sure that the road network across the country is unhindered so we can actually get fuel to the people who need it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that in the long term \u201cwhat 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\u2019re going to need to be conversations around the security of those sites and the way the State manages that that security.\u201d<\/p>\n

8.25pm<\/p>\n

A spokesman for the Dublin fuel protest has said that they \u201cachieved something small\u201d in \u20ac505 million worth of government measures, but said he has \u201cno control\u201d over further protests.<\/p>\n

Blockades at fuel depots and Ireland\u2019s only oil refinery have been lifted, but traffic disruption continued in parts of the country on Monday due to some protests.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody knows what the plan is, that\u2019s being straight out there,\u201d said John Dallon, a Kildare farmer and agriculture contractor who was at the Dublin protest.<\/p>\n

He said that he welcomed the reduction in green diesel, but the government \u201cshould have done something\u201d on kerosene.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis protest is out of my hands, it escalated to somewhat so big, and I don\u2019t know where it\u2019s going to end, but it\u2019s the government\u2019s fault,\u201d he told Newstalk radio on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe achieved something small, but this is something way bigger now, and I have no control over it, and that\u2019s exactly where I\u2019m coming from.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

8.10am<\/p>\n

The following Bus \u00c9ireann routes have been cancelled.<\/p>\n

Route 101<\/p>\n

09:00 Dublin to Drogheda – Cancelled<\/p>\n

09:40 Dublin to Drogheda – Cancelled<\/p>\n

Route 105<\/p>\n

09:45 Navan Rd Stn to Drogheda – Cancelled<\/p>\n

Route 109<\/p>\n

08:15 Dublin to Dunshaughlin – Cancelled<\/p>\n

10:25 Dunshaughlin to Dublin – Cancelled<\/p>\n

Route 160<\/p>\n

Delayed departures may be expected<\/p>\n

Route 167<\/p>\n

Delayed departures may be expected<\/p>\n

Route 168<\/p>\n

07:59 Annagassan to Dundalk – Cancelled<\/p>\n

Route 354<\/p>\n

09:30 The Clock Tower to Dunmore East – Cancelled<\/p>\n

10:20 Dunmore East to The Clock Tower – Cancelled<\/p>\n

Route NX<\/p>\n

08:00 Navan to Dublin – Cancelled<\/p>\n

08:40 Navan to Dublin – Cancelled<\/p>\n

Route B1<\/p>\n

7.53am<\/p>\n

Slow-moving convoys and road blockages by fuel protestors are continuing this morning.<\/p>\n

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

Significant delays are likely, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland is advising drivers to use a different route.<\/p>\n

In Cavan, the N3 southbound is solid behind a convoy on the Kells side of Virginia.<\/p>\n

In Kildare, the M9 northbound is busy at Jctn 3, Athy, where protestors have gathered.<\/p>\n

In Louth, there are convoys on the M1 southbound before Jctn 14 Ardee and Jctn 12 Dunleer.<\/p>\n

In Cork, the N28 Ringaskiddy Rd westbound is busy between Shanbally Cross and a protest near Rafeen bridge.<\/p>\n

The opposition is slamming the decision to call off two practical exams on Monday<\/p>\n

The State Examinations Commission is deferring Leaving Cert Music and Junior Cycle Home Economics’ practical examinations.<\/p>\n

Social Democrats Education spokesperson Jen Cummins says it’s come to late to call off today’s practical exams.<\/p>\n

“My understanding is that they were nervous that not only students but examiners would not be able to make it to the schools.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

There are long queues heading into Kilcullen as a result.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The Garda Commissioner has extended the declaration of an ‘exceptional event’ until Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Justin Kelly has directed that all rest days are cancelled until 7 pm on Tuesday and extended to 8 pm tonight.<\/p>\n

‘Exceptional Events’ are declared when the Commissioner decides there is a security threat against the state.<\/p>\n

It is understood Garda\u00ed were informed by their representative bodies last night of the extension.<\/p>\n

Dublin Bus is back operating as normal on Monday morning.<\/p>\n

The Luas Red and Green Line is also operating as normal.<\/p>\n