The Road Haulage Association has threatened the Government with “disruptive protests” unless it takes action over fuel prices. 

The cost of petrol and diesel has surged in the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which have thrown the global energy market into chaos. 

While Taoiseach Micheál Martin has insisted that there is “no excuse for prices going up”, the industry insists it has no choice, given how quickly their costs have risen. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Road Haulage Association President Ger Hyland said hauliers are now in a place “where we don’t want to be” and criticised the Government as “very short on action”. 

 “We are left here to try and fuel our trucks,” he said. 

“If we can afford the price of fuel, the problem is getting fuel. 

“Our members ordering fuel today will not get fuel for five or six days in a lot of cases and we won't get a price until the morning of delivery.”

A petrol pump. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Mr Hyland added that any protests by hauliers will take places in cities across Ireland and they would welcome any support from the public. 

He continued that it would “probably mean members on foot” and that the aim is “absolutely” to disrupt traffic. 

“It will be a disruptive protest, but we will be calling on the general public who's every bit as much discommoded as ourselves,” he argued. 

“The farmers, the contract groups, the farming contract groups to come out and support us. 

“This is a cost of living thing, not alone on the hauliers, but on all of Ireland and the general public.”

A petrol pump. Picture by: AP/Press Association Images.

A meeting for hauliers took place over the weekend and Mr Hyland described the mood in the room as one of “one of anger, one of disbelief that the Government has not stepped in here to help our industry”. 

“They may not be responsible for the closure of the Straits of Hormuz or what's going on in Iran and the Middle East,” he argued. 

“But they are responsible for the price of fuel in this country, for every litre of fuel that you buy.

“If you buy petrol, you're given 65 cents of that euro to the Government, if you're on diesel, you're given 60 cents of that. 

“There is 20 cents of that, almost 20 cents of the carbon tax.

“We're one of only four countries in Europe charging carbon tax. We didn't ask the Government to abolish it. We asked them to suspend it until this crisis is over.”

Tánaiste & Minister for Finance @SimonHarrisTD is in Brussels this week for the March Eurogroup & ECOFIN meetings where Finance Ministers will discuss the impact of energy prices as a result of the war in the Middle East.

Read more: https://t.co/eVIA8T9QVu pic.twitter.com/1ZkHqhvVA8

— Department of Finance (@IRLDeptFinance) March 9, 2026

When asked why hauliers could not simply charge their customers more, Mr Hyland noted this would inevitably mean higher prices for consumers. 

“Our margins are between 3% and 5%,” he said. 

“Our members are actively out there, they're putting up their rates - but this is going to have an inflationary effect all across Ireland.

“You must remember here that most of our members are rural based; the average employee that I have is travelling 30 kilometres to work every day. 

“So, his fuel has gone up, his cost of living is going to go up. There's only one place he's going to get that and that is out of my pocket now in my business.”

Main image: Ger Hyland at his family-run business Hyland Transport in Laois. Picture by: Alamy.com.