Fuel tankers regain access to Irish oil refinery after protests

Fuel tankers have regained access to an oil refinery that was blocked by protesters in Ireland.

Gardai had launched a major operation to move large tractors that had been blocking the entrance to the Whitegate oil refinery, in Co Cork.

It comes after Fuels for Ireland chief executive, Kevin McPartlan, said around 600 of the 1,500 filling stations around the Republic of Ireland had run dry.

He had also predicted the number would "grow quite dramatically" if blockades on Whitegate, Galway and Foynes, Co Limerick continued.

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The operation took around one hour and led to clashes between the Public Order Unit and protesters.

This included instances of pepper spray being used.

An Garda Siochana, the Irish police service, had requested the availability of a military heavy-lift recovery truck if it needed to tow any of the large tractors or trucks involved in the blockade.

Gardai, who escorted the fuel trucks to the premises, had internally declared an "exceptional event", which enabled the large-scale response by allowing it to designate every member as available for duty over the weekend.

The blockades are part of nationwide protests by hauliers, farmers and agricultural contractors urging the government to take action to reduce fuel costs.

It is argued the fuel costs are unsustainable and will lead to people going out of business.

The protests have also led to slow-moving convoys and outright stoppages on the motorway network, along with a large blockade on Dublin city's main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland, responsible for motorways, said there is "significant disruption to its network" and was working with Gardai to manage traffic distribution.

The government has pitched a support package to representatives of the transport and agriculture sectors, aimed at diffusing the protests.

(c) Sky News 2026: Fuel tankers regain access to Irish oil refinery after protests