LAST UPDATE | 10 Apr
FIRE AND AMBULANCE services are to be curtailed because of fuel shortages caused by the ongoing protests and blockades, the government’s emergency group has said.
The public is also being urged not to stockpile fuel.
The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) said that fuel supplies for emergency service vehilcles are coming under pressure due to the blockades and that contingencies are being put in place to preserve fuel.
“Fire services will cease non-essential activities (for example, training activities), and responses to non-life threatening call-outs will be restricted in order to preserve fuel,” the group said.
The NECG was also informed of “serious concern” about the fuel supply for the National Ambulance Service.
“While the National Ambulance Service continues to respond to 999 calls and life-threatening and clinically urgent calls, inter-hospital transfers, and ambulance transport services for routine care and discharges are being curtailed,” the NECG said.
A subgroup of the NECG has been established to coordinate contingency measures to address the fuel supply issues facing emergency services, the group said.
The public is also being urged to “only buy the fuel they need” and people have also been warned that storing fuel at home or in unsafe locations presents significant safety risks.
This evening, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill met with a number of junior ministers from her department, as well as Chief Medical Officer, Mary Horgan, and the CEO of the Health Service Executive, Anne O’Connor, to discuss the impact of fuel shortages on healthcare.
According to s stament issued this evening, the ministers were briefed on “the significant disruption the ongoing fuel blockades are causing to ambulance operations, the provision of vital home care to older people, meals on wheels services and critical respite care for children and adults with mental health challenges”.
The newly established Health Threats Advisory Committee is to meet again tomorrow and on Sunday to monitor the situation as it evolves.
“The serious risks to patient safety caused by the blockade of fuel supplies are completely unacceptable and the four ministers called on the protesters to reflect on their actions and cease the restriction of access to critical fuel infrastructure immediately,” the statement said.
‘Turning oil away’
If fuel protests and blockades continue, up to 500 forecourts could be out of fuel by tonight, according to Kevin McPartland, CEO of Fuels for Ireland.
Meanwhile, Micheál Martin has said Ireland is on the precipice of “turning oil away” because of the blockades.
It’s day four of ongoing protests over the government’s response to rising fuel prices – but even if protests and blockades ended today, McPartland said it would take up to a week before forecourts were operating “close to normal” again.
“Once a disruption of this scale takes hold, there is no instant reset. Stocks have to be rebuilt, deliveries rescheduled and normal distribution patterns restored across the network,” he said today.
He said there is no actual shortage of fuel in the Irish market, instead there is a national fuel distribution issue due to the protests and blockades.
“Fuel is there, but it is not moving normally through the system because key infrastructure and distribution routes have been blocked.”
“That means we are now close to widespread no-fuel conditions at forecourts, not because the country has run out of fuel, but because the supply chain is being prevented from operating as it should.”
Speaking to RTÉ News at One, the Taoiseach warned that fuel meant to stock Irish forecourts could go abroad if the protests don’t end.
He said an oil tanker currently stranded off the coast of Galway could be bought by another party if it cannot land, and if the blockade at Whitegate Refinery in Co Cork continues, the refinery will not be able to continue to process product due to lack of storage capacity.
The refinery has been blockaded for three days, the Garda Public Order Unit are now at the scene with at least a dozen vehicles.
“One of the issues that we’ll have to look at is potential diversion of product coming into Whitegate to the international markets,” Martin said.
“It is unconscionable, it’s illogical, it’s difficult to comprehend. That is why the Gardaí are at Whitegate and will be at the ports to ensure that we get vital supplies for our people.”
He said that “unelected and self-appointed people” cannot determine who gets oil and who gets to attend hospital appointments.
“That’s not acceptable. That’s not a legitimate form of protest. I accept the right to protest. I accept that people can disagree with policies, but we’ve put in place mechanisms now, we’re engaging in negotiations.”
“The blockades should end because they will injure the Irish people. They will damage our economy and society, and they will damage jobs.”
A meeting is ongoing this afternoon between government ministers and a number of representative groups on the ongoing fuel protests. One of the top protest organisers, James Geoghegan, claimed last night that he will also be in attendance.
Donal Byrne and John Dallon said they expected to be in today’s netting. They say now the protests will continue. pic.twitter.com/Ekv3pP7gW7
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) April 10, 2026
However, some protest leaders, including John Dallon, were turned away from the talks today.
It is understood that the government is working towards a further package of measures, which Martin indicated will be targeted towards “essentials of the economy”, for example, food production and haulage.
Meanwhile, Martin’s mission to Canada has been called off today as the government grapples to deal with the ongoing fuel protests taking place around the country.
The trade mission was due to kick off on Sunday, with the five other government ministers due to travel also.
Over the course of the week, it became increasingly clear that ongoing protests would likely prevent the Taoiseach and the delegation from travelling to Canada.
The trip was aimed at promoting Ireland and seeking out new investment opportunities.
Micheál Martin was to travel to Ottawa and Toronto and he was due to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday.
Other ministers due to travel to Canada were Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, Minister for Higher Education James Lawless and Minister of State for the Marine, Timmy Dooley.
With additional reporting from Sophie Finn and David Mac Redmond.