Protest?

Robson99 · 10-04-2026 11:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124378967#Comment_124378967

The simplest way to solve the issue is to reduce the Tax that is applied to fuel and bring in Water Charges. Every Household in the Country should be paying rates for Water like they do in the most other European Countries. If they say the have to apply all this Tax because its EU Directive well then bring in Water Charges for every Household

Red Silurian · 10-04-2026 11:08AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124378967#Comment_124378967

Exactly, mostly cheaper than their petrol/diesel equivalent cars these days, plus a €10 refill which as you correctly say makes them the best option for most people

Saw a video in the last few minutes, and reported just now on newstalk 11 o clock update, Gardaí are lining the hard shoulder with vans, cars etc at Whitegate and a garda checkpoint setup. Something will be going down very soon methinks

Francis McM · 10-04-2026 11:08AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379009#Comment_124379009

The same crowd would be protesting about the water charges then.

Did you know that we're not even in the top 10 for diesel prices in Europe?

Even though we have some of the highest wages in Europe?

Judging by the blockades, we are the laughing stock of Europe for shooting ourselves in the foot and complaining about the price of bullets.

bogman_bass · 10-04-2026 11:15AM

no. A different crowd would protest against the water charges. Most farmers are already paying for water and everybody else’s too

wanderer 22 · 10-04-2026 11:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379028#Comment_124379028

Not sure you're living in the real world. Maybe you're one of those people using PCP and thinking they're being savvy.

Francis McM · 10-04-2026 11:20AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379054#Comment_124379054

So you are now claiming it is just the farmers protesting today?

I never knew farmers paid the water charges for shops, hotels, business premises etc. You are a mine of information.

Widdensushi · 10-04-2026 11:26AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124378864#Comment_124378864

Hardly a random sample,why not cherry pick the cheaper ones.

dmakc · 10-04-2026 11:29AM

Supporting overall but can't deny idiotic elements I really wish they didn't do.

Christopher (I think the name) joking that he'd put his foot on MM's neck is not something you should be saying on camera on the eve of a debatable invite. The oil field demand is out of left field also.

You're there for fuel. Stick to why you're there and keep diplomacy in public.

10-04-2026 11:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379111#Comment_124379111

I didn't say it was a random sample - but Bulgaria is one of the cheaper ones. I was replying to a poster seeming to claim that our fuel tax rate is disproportionate. It is not.

Robson99 · 10-04-2026 11:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379031#Comment_124379031

They wouldn't. Most people in Rural Ireland pay water charges anyway or have their own well's

BeGrand2025 · 10-04-2026 11:33AM

Bad day to be a guard made stand outside with the rain that is coming. On the bright side it should dissuade the unwanted element from taking part if things go south. Today will be an interesting day, good luck to the protest and hopefully the Government can see sense to negotiate a solution.

bucketybuck · 10-04-2026 11:33AM

At this point I hope the government tells them all to get fucked, let them continue their protest. I would happily watch the general public turn on them and start burning trucks and tractors out from under them.

You can do a lot of expensive damage to a fuel system on those machines if you know where to hit.

martingriff · 10-04-2026 11:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124378948#Comment_124378948

Maybe the protesters who they met were the nice genuine one (not the ones who now seem to run the show) and decided that yes we should show help to people who have hospital appointments. Probably guilty of this myself but let's not tar all protestor with the same brush

lmk123 · 10-04-2026 11:35AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379083#Comment_124379083

welcome back, don’t forget to include all of the following again today in all of your posts and keep repeating it no matter what:

Inheritance tax
Land worth over €1m
Big tractors
Grants and money for nothing

best of luck on your mission to get a reaction today.

10-04-2026 11:37AM

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Red Silurian · 10-04-2026 11:41AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379058#Comment_124379058

Well I'm certainly not using diesel and thinking I'm savvy anyway 🤣

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379149#Comment_124379149

That's unlikely to be an option. If the general public were going to be pissed off enough they likely would have vigilante groups in place by now to disperse the anarchists. If talks fail this afternoon, and I highly doubt they will, it's likely that the anarchists will disperse from the depots off their own bat as they too need diesel, meds and food. Even if they are too thick to realise it right now

Boggles · 10-04-2026 11:45AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379009#Comment_124379009

Water charges have been proven to reduce the quality of water infrastructure and water quality at never ending spiralling costs, while the companies tasked with managing them prioritise profits.

You just have to look at the state of England and Wales, a model FG tried to mimic.

paddyisreal · 10-04-2026 11:51AM

the government really are playing a blinder here. everyone is seeing just how incompetent they really are, grand lads when they have to piss money up against the wall or open up a new road but by **** are they being shown up here for what they really are.... 5 days into this and getting worse. we elect some idiots all the same

thejuggler · 10-04-2026 11:52AM

The protesters have already lost in my opinion. The backed the wrong horse in blocking refineries and fuel distribution. Watch public opinion turn sharply against them in the coming days if they continue this farce.

wanderer 22 · 10-04-2026 11:52AM

IMO calls for immediate end to fuel blockades

Slower emergency services response times and missed healthcare appointments as a result of blockades will have a hugely detrimental effect on patient welfare nationwide
IMO AGM continues today (Friday) in Killarney
‘There should always be room for peaceful protest in this country, but not at the expense of patient welfare due to the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure’

Friday April 10, 2026. The President of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has called for an immediate end to the fuel blockades, warning that slower response times by the emergency services and missed healthcare appointments as a result of the blockades will have a “hugely detrimental” effect on patient welfare.

Speaking at the IMO AGM which is taking place this weekend in Killarney, Co Kerry, Professor Matthew Sadlier said that it was unacceptable that the disproportionate actions of a minority are having such a significant negative impact on patients.

“There should always be room for peaceful protest in this country, but not at the expense of patient welfare due to the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure. These blockades mean our emergency services are not currently able to respond as quickly as they ordinarily do, meaning patients will be delayed receiving urgent and, in many cases, life-saving treatment. This cannot continue.”

He added that the knock-on impact on scheduled appointments would create added pressure on the healthcare system which is already struggling due to a lack of adequate resourcing.

“The ability of both patients and healthcare staff to actually get to healthcare appointments has been severely compromised by the blockades which will create major problems for the health system in the months to come at a time when we do not have enough staff to meet the demands of a growing and ageing population which requires ever more complex care.”

10-04-2026 11:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379191#Comment_124379191

Water charges and privatization are separate matters. I agree with you re privatization. Introduction of water charges (a good thing in itself) should only follow a referendum to enshrine public ownership.

wanderer 22 · 10-04-2026 11:53AM

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wanderer 22 · 10-04-2026 11:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379206#Comment_124379206

The 'man at the barstool' approach to political discourse.

Boggles · 10-04-2026 11:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379213#Comment_124379213

Won't happen, because FF / FG can't sell it off then, like they have literally everything else.

Although I'm sure they would come up with some scheme to get around it.

NIMAN · 10-04-2026 12:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124379211#Comment_124379211

If there is any possibility that this is still going on come Monday morning, then it will go downhill for the protest.

Schools going back will be a major turning point. And if more petrol stations run dry and people have to call the boss to say they wont make it into work....