Ireland’s police service introduced “exceptional” measures as fuel protests which have strangled the distribution of fuel around the country rumbled into a fifth consecutive day.
The Irish Government is to re-enter talks on Saturday aimed at defusing the protests, which have involved blockades at key fuel distribution sites, as the prospect of most filling stations running out of fuel by Monday was raised by an industry representative.
It comes after a crunch meeting on Friday failed to end with concrete proposals.
An Garda Siochana internally declared an “exceptional event”, allowing it to designate every member available for duty over the weekend.
About 600 of the 1,500 filling stations around the Republic of Ireland have run dry, according to Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan.
He said he expected the number “will grow quite dramatically” if ongoing blockades of fuel depots remain in place.
Asked on RTE Radio One’s The Business how that number may grow, he said: “If everything remains as it is, that is to say that the three facilities remain blockaded, then I don’t think we could guarantee fuel at any forecourt by very early next week, Monday morning or Monday perhaps.”
Despite this, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill told the Irish Medical Organisation AGM in Co Kerry on Saturday that “all of our ambulances have been refuelled successfully”.
Elsewhere, Rosslare Europort is expected to hit capacity by Sunday evening or Monday morning.
Operations at the port, run by Irish Rail, have been affected by a blockade of fuel protesters in the nearby town of Kilrane, Co Wexford.
A spokesperson for Irish Rail said the port will soon be at capacity and will not be able to take in any more freight – resulting in ships having to wait on anchor or be diverted to another port if possible.
Meanwhile, ministers said the Irish Defence Forces are “on standby” to help gardai remove blockades at critical infrastructure.
TII Statement on National Road/Motorway Network Protest Impact
— TII Traffic (@TIITraffic) April 11, 2026
There is significant distribution across the national road/motorway network currently impacting Counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Laois, Offaly, Kildare, Galway, Cork, and Dublin.
TII’s network operations are… pic.twitter.com/mIF5udlgRN
Blockades have resulted in full closures of parts of the M50 ring road around Dublin, as well as the M4, M6, M7, M8, M9 and M20.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which is responsible for motorways, said there is “significant disruption” to its network impacting counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Laois, Offaly, Kildare, Galway, Cork, and Dublin.
It said it was working closely with gardai in managing traffic distribution.
The protests have caused disruption to some bus routes across Ireland and within the capital, where Luas Green Line tram services are also affected.
Participants say the Government needs to take urgent action on fuel prices or they will go out of business.
Protesters have blockaded the country’s only oil refinery, in Whitegate, Co Cork, as well as key depots in Galway and Foynes, Co Limerick.
There have also been concerns about fuel shortages leading to curtailments on the provision of emergency services and the delivery of vital goods, while the National Emergency Coordination Group urged the public to only buy the fuel they need.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin warned that Ireland is on the “precipice of turning oil away from the country”, describing the situation as “unconscionable”, “illogical”, and “difficult to comprehend”.
The protests, which have also seen slow-moving convoys and outright stoppages on major motorways as well as a blockade on Dublin city’s main thoroughfare, began on Tuesday over the cost of fuel.
Participants include professional drivers, farmers and hauliers as well as taxi and bus operators.
Many official representative groups recognised by Government have expressed sympathy with the cause but have said they have not been involved in organising the protests.
Government ministers engaged with some of these groups on Friday but a spokesman for the protesters expressed “devastation” that they were excluded from the meeting.
A commitment from the coalition on Friday night to deliver a “substantial” package of measures on fuel costs was not enough to dissuade protesters from continuing blockades.
Christopher Duffy, a spokesman for the grouping in Dublin city centre, said the protest would continue until there was a “serious reduction in our costs”.
Talks between Government departments and representative bodies are set to continue at lunchtime on Saturday, with a view to finalising what deputy premier Simon Harris said would be “substantial and significant” measures for affected industries.
Police in Northern Ireland said they were “maintaining an ongoing assessment” in relation to social media posts calling for similar planned protests there.
A PSNI spokeswoman said: “A policing response has been prepared, if needed, to ensure public safety and to help minimise any potential disruption to the wider community.”
