Irish government announces further fuel supports after protests

The Irish government has announced further fuel supports for a number of sectors after nationwide protests in recent weeks. Fuel costs: Irish government announces supports following protests Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Crowds protested against rising fuel prices at the start of April A large lorry with Irish flags attached to the front is parked in a busy street. There are men gathered around. Behind it are Garda (Irish police) cars. Irish government announces further fuel supports after protests The Irish government has announced further fuel supports for some workers and businesses, after nationwide protests in recent weeks. Irish government ministers are insisting the package of supports was being worked on by the government before the protests, which saw many major motorways, as well as the main street in the nation's capital, brought to effective standstill. Before nationwide protests kicked off, excise duty had already been cut on petrol and diesel. But since the protests there have been further cuts to diesel and petrol and a package of supports for farmers, hauliers and coach drivers has been promised. But since the protests there have been further cuts to diesel and petrol and a package of supports for farmers, hauliers and coach drivers has been promised. The details of this package were laid out by Irish government ministers on Wednesday at Government buildings in Dublin. There was such heavy traffic on Dublin's M50 northbound towards the airport that people decided to walk A very busy main road. There is a traffic jam on the road going in the direction toward the camera. On the side of the road going away from the camera, traffic is minimal. People can be seen walking on the heavy traffic side with suit cases. The Road Transporters Supports Scheme is worth €120m (£104m) and is for hauliers and bus and coach operators. This scheme will be backdated to March and will apply from when average national diesel prices exceeded €1.90 per litre (£1.65) which is being benchmarked at the point at which fuel costs become unsustainable for commercial transport operators. Payments will be graduated and based on the number of vehicles an operator has on their license. Operators who own up to and including five vehicles will receive €1,350 (£1,170) per vehicle; operators who own six to 20 will receive €790 (£685) and operators with over 21 vehicles will receive €300 (£260). Applications will open in May for the scheme. People walk along motorway towards Dublin Airport as fuel protests continue Vehicles parked on O'Connell Street in Dublin as protesters take part on the second day of a National Fuel Protest against rising fuel prices. In the foreground is a large haulage truck to the left of the picture and a tractor to the right. The tractor has a banner saying "No farms, no food". A man in a dark suit is crossing the road in front of the vehicles. Fuel protests cause 'significant disruption' to travel Truck driver Sonny Boyd is wearing a high-vis vest and a black hoodie. He has short hair and stubble. He is standing near a red truck with an Irish flag. Some people behind him on the street are blurred Protesters call for fuel price cap as slow-moving convoys caused delays A second scheme announced today called the Fuel Support Scheme is aimed at farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers, costing €100m (£87m). This will also be backdated to cover March to the end of July and will support those who are impacted by hikes to green diesel, used mostly by farmers and agricultural contractors. They will receive a support rate which is equivalent to around 20 euro cents a litre or €200 per 1,000 litres of marked gas oil (also known as green diesel) based on verified usage in 2025. Vehicles were parked on O'Connell Street in Dublin during the second day of a protest against rising fuel prices A cyclist wearing an orange helmet is between two tractors. A sign says, can't afford to move. They're on a street. The Irish government is also launching a communications campaign with advice on how households and businesses can manage their energy costs. In total, the Irish government has spent €755m (£654m) on fuel supports in recent months, including today's announcement as well as previous excise duty cuts. Annual planned increases to carbon tax have also been delayed. Irish transport minister Darragh O'Brien said the package is "timebound and targeted". "We will retain the ability to respond further should we need to, but we have to manage the finances in a sustainable way," he said. Irish agriculture minister Martin Heydon said the Irish government are "responding in real time" to challenges. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said "households find it more and more harder to pay their electricity bill" Mary Lou McDonald has short brown hair and is wearing makeup and a blue top. However, opposition parties in Dublin are strongly critical of the supports put forward by the government. Speaking in the Dail (Irish parliament) on Wednesday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said "households find it more and more harder to pay their electricity bill". Sinn Fein have called for energy credits, which take money off all household electricity bills, as well as an emergency budget. "Your government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, simply shrug your shoulders," she said. "How many families have to fall behind their electricity bills before you wake up?" Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin told the opposition leader he "fully rejects" McDonald's analysis. A PSNI officer standing in front of a tractor on a road in Belfast Fines issued after fuel protests across NI disrupt traffic A milk tanker is seen on a road at the front of a convoy of vehicles who took part in a protest in Strabane on Saturday afternoon in protest at the rising cost of fuel NI fuel protesters 'stand in solidarity' with Irish counterparts Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where fox hunting is still permitted. Mary Lou McDonald calls on her party to ensure Michelle O'Neill is returned as first minister next year. The Sinn Féin vice-president was speaking at the party's annual ard fheis (conference), which is being held in Belfast. The interest rate set by the Bank of England affects mortgage, loan and savings rates for millions. Newcastle City Council hopes the move will offer Byker Wall homeowners "stability and certainty". People can apply for a £150 grant if they are running out of heating oil, a council says. The rural vote is a significant, but often overlooked, constituency in the Scottish Parliament election. Experts says Claire's suffered from a perfect storm of issues which has spelled the end for the accessories chain.