As civil disobedience remains challenging for the Government, what is the way forward after the fuel protests?
On The Pat Kenny Show on Sunday, economist Colm McCarthy said the fuel blockades shows that widespread and coordinated civic disobedience is still challenging for the Government complicating the way forward after the fuel protests.
Protesters were cleared from Dublin’s O’Connell Street Sunday morning following a garda operation.
The blockade made up of trucks, tractors and other vehicles who had gathered to protest the rising oil costs impacting farmers, hauliers and agriculture workers has mostly been dismantled.
Similar blockades across the country are disappearing peacefully or through garda intervention.
An emergency Cabinet meeting on Sunday will sign off on measures the Irish Government hopes will bring all protests over fuel costs to an end.
“One of the problems that the government is facing, that they're not talking about, is that the international economic outlook is not great because this war will not end quickly”, Colm McCarthy told The Pat Kenny Show.
“Something that people used to be very aware of, but they seem to have forgotten is the following.
“The Irish economy is very small. It has a lot of imports and a lot of exports. When the international economy turns down, the Irish economy tends to turn down even quicker and vice versa.”
He added that Ireland’s ‘volatile’ economy meant that public finances needed to be handed cautiously.
Disbanding of fuel protest on O'Connell Street.‘"When you see a lot of uncertainty coming about your financial position, the correct response is to be a bit more cautious than you might have been otherwise”, he told The Pat Kenny Show.
Asked how the fuel blockades could end across the country, Mr McCarthy said it remained uncertain as the widespread and coordinated civic disobedience is a big challenge for the government.
He compared the protests to the recent occupation of the Bord Bia headquarters in Ballsbridge.
Mr McCarthy said the presence of the Irish Farmer’s Association had been ‘tolerated’ at the time but remained illegal trespassing.
“It’s breaking the law and what’s been going on the last week is illegal”, he told Newstalk.
“You’re not allowed to block people’s premises with tractors.”
What is the way forward after fuel protests in Foyne?
Reporter David Raleigh reported on the fuel blockade erected at the entrances to the Shannon Foynes Port Company and fuel terminal at Foynes, Co Limerick.
He writes that it is due to stand down at 1pm this afternoon according to organisers.
A decision to open the blockade, which was erected six days ago, came after a vote among protestors was taken earlier.
It was anticipated that a garda public order unit, which had opened blockades at Cork on Saturday, and Galway on Sunday, would travel to Foynes next.
The protest at Foynes had remained peaceful throughout.
A large convoy of trucks belonging to the fuel blockade are seen leaving O'Connell Street after an overnight operation led by Gardaì.
A few tractors remain, and the street remains closed.via: @DanPitchside pic.twitter.com/IKWZEBCQ7w
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) April 12, 2026
Speaking Sunday, Independent Ireland TD, Richard O’Donoghue, who supported the blockade at Foynes, said: “I've just had a meeting with the people that have been here for the last five and six days, here in a peaceful protest here in Foynes, and we've taken a vote with the hauliers, the contractors, agriculture contractors, the people that have been here, and the community.”
“We are going to pull out of Foynes here today peacefully, as we came in peacefully, at one o'clock today,” said Deputy O’Donoghue.
“And I'd like to thank every one of the communities, the businesses, and the support that we've had from our homes.”
“We’re on our way home, we’re leaving at one o'clock. Thank you,” he added.
With additional reporting from David Raleigh.
Main Image: Evacuation of the fuel blockade on Dublin's O'Connell Street. Picture by: David Pitcher.
