Fuel tankers regain access to Irish oil refinery

Demonstrations due to high prices caused by the US-Israeli war against Iran are affecting traffic on several roads. Fuel protests: Fuel tankers regain access to Irish oil refinery Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Tractors have been used to block routes across the country A large red tractor from behind - a white placard with red paint sits between the back wheels. The paint reads "No fuel no food". The tractor sits in O'Connell Street in Dublin. Fuel tankers regain access to Irish oil refinery Fuel trucks have regained access to an oil refinery in the Republic of Ireland that had been subjected to a days-long blockade. Earlier on Saturday, protesters at Whitegate Refinery in County Cork were pushed back by gardaí (Irish police) using pepper spray, in an operation supported by the Irish Defence Forces. Gardaí were brought in to move large tractors that had been blocking the entrance and fuel tankers were once again able to access the site. Hundreds of petrol stations in the country have run out of fuel as the protests - involving slow-moving convoys made up of vehicles including tractors - continue for a fifth day. Blockades at fuel depots in counties Limerick and Galway are continuing. Footage posted by gardaí on Saturday afternoon showed them escorting oil tankers leaving Whitegate after they restored access to the refinery. showed them escorting oil tankers leaving Whitegate after they restored access to the refinery. Meetings between government ministers and representatives of farmers and hauliers to finalise a new government funding package took place on Saturday. Meetings between government ministers and representatives of farmers and hauliers to finalise a new government funding package The package will include a temporary fuel support scheme aimed at the haulage, agri-business and contractor sectors. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has ordered people to cease their blockades or "face the full rigours of the law" A man standing outside wearing a police uniform consisting of a hat, shirt and tie. The entrance to a building can be seen out of focus behind him. On Saturday evening Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said a number of arrests were made during the operation at Whitegate. He added that blockades are illegal and "not a legitimate form of protest". "We gave these blockaders fair warning that we were moving to an enforcement phase and they chose to ignore that and continue to hold the country to ransom." Kelly also said gardaí are aware that there has been intimidation of fuel tanker drivers. "Offences such as threats to kill or cause serious harm carry sentences of up to 10 years," he said. "My message is clear - blockaders must immediately cease blockades of critical infrastructure and road networks or face the full rigours of the law." Two-thirds of stations could run out of petrol Fuels for Ireland, which represents companies that import, distribute, and sell fuel, said warned two-thirds of petrol stations in Ireland would be out of stock by the end of Saturday if the blockades at the fuel-storage facilities continued. The blockade of parts of Dublin city centre is continuing, with O'Connell Street and South Quay closed to traffic. A blockade on the M50, with parts of the road closed The M7 at Portlaoise is blocked in both directions On the M8, at Cashel south, there is a blockage northbound Road blocks are reported in Monaghan town and on the N2 bypass, on the M18/N18 in County Clare, and the M20/N20, between Patrickswell and Raheen in County Limerick Hundreds of forecourts have run out of petrol and diesel due to the protests Bollards and tape block a Circle K's fuel pumps The harbour master at Rosslare Europort has told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that they may have to turn away ferries due to a road blockade outside the facility. Tom Curran said the port will have reached capacity by Sunday afternoon with freight stuck and unable to move. Protesters have set up a blockade at the nearby village of Kilrane about a mile from the port. A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) said the situation could come to a head late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning Public transport has also been affected, with some services suspended and major disruption in Dublin. Bus Éireann said it would try to serve Dublin Airport passengers where possible, while people travelling to Shannon and Dublin Airports are advised to allow extra time. An Garda Síochána, has declared an "exceptional event" in response to the fuel protests, allowing it to double the number of officers available to work. Protesters listen to speeches on Dublin's O'Connell Street on Saturday A crowd, several of them waving Irish Tricolour flags stand in O;Connell Street in Dublin. Two lorries are visible in the midst of the crowd The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG), which brings together government departments and state agencies to coordinate emergency response, said fuel supplies for emergency response vehicles, including the ambulance service and fire service, are under "increasing pressure". Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said the blockades meant the country was "on the precipice of turning oil away from the country" during a global oil supply crisis. Speaking in Dublin on Saturday, Mary Lou McDonald the leader of Sinn Féin, said the Irish Government had allowed a "difficult situation" to escalate and urged it to engage with protesters to negotiate an end to the blockades. The conflict in the Middle East has caused rapid price rises for both petrol and diesel. Some 20% of the world's oil trade, the raw ingredient for producing both petrol and diesel, has been halted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Some 20% of the world's oil trade, the raw ingredient for producing both petrol and diesel, has been halted by the Diesel in the Republic of Ireland has risen from about €1.70 (£1.48) a litre to €2.17 (£1.89) on many forecourts in recent weeks and petrol is now up to 25 cents more per litre at many pumps. The protests started on Tuesday morning. A large lorry with Irish flags attached to the front is parked in a busy street. There are men gathered around. Behind it are Garda (Irish police) cars. Irish government finalising fuel package deal A very busy main road. There is a traffic jam on the road going in the direction toward the camera. On the side of the road going away from the camera, traffic is minimal. People can be seen walking on the heavy traffic side with suit cases. People walk along motorway towards Dublin Airport as fuel protests continue Truck driver Sonny Boyd is wearing a high-vis vest and a black hoodie. He has short hair and stubble. He is standing near a red truck with an Irish flag. Some people behind him on the street are blurred Protesters call for fuel price cap as slow-moving convoys caused delays Travel across parts of the Republic of Ireland was affected for the fourth day in a row as vehicles, including tractors, blocked roads. The remains of 69 infants have now been found in an ongoing dig at the former mother and baby home site in the Republic of Ireland. The Irish military will be deployed to move vehicles "blocking critical infrastructure". A convoy of vans, lorries, tractors, and even a limousine took part in a slow moving protest around the town centre on Saturday afternoon. BBC Middle East Correspondent Hugo Bachega hears from people affected by this week's attacks. Airports Council International (ACI) Europe said its members had "increasing concerns" about the availability of jet fuel. Christopher Kennedy-Barnard says he did not realise until he returned to land and saw missiles. Planet Labs says it is restricting coverage of Iran and parts of the Middle East indefinitely.