Fuel protests: Traffic backed up on M4 and N7 as protestors head towards the city centre
By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association
1pm
Large traffic snarl-ups continue on the M4 and N7 leading onto the M50 as protesters continue to make their way into the GPO.
On Tuesday morning, Gardaí said they were aware of a number of slow-moving convoys across the country.
Posting on X, An Garda Siochana said there were convoys on the M7 and M4 in County Kildare, on M7 in County Limerick, on the M8 in County Offaly, on the M3 in County Meath, on the M6 in County Westmeath, on the M6 in County Galway and near Portlaoise in County Laois.
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) April 7, 2026
Agricultural contractor Gary Leonard said he had travelled with a convoy of around 80 from Navan in County Meath to O’Connell Street in Dublin city centre.
He said he believes the carbon tax and excise duty should be removed from diesel.
He said this time last year, it cost €250 to fill an “ordinary middle-sized tractor”, now it costs €450.
Mr Leonard said it took the convoy around four hours to reach Dublin and said the reaction on the way was “unbelievable” and said, “the solidarity is really, really showing today”.
The 26-year-old said prices mean it is “getting hard to make a living”, despite working full time, adding it is “nearly impossible” to “get on in life” in Ireland.
In a statement released ahead of a planned rally on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, Aontu leader Peadar Toibin called for a carbon tax cut.
He said the Government is “the key driver” of high prices for fuel in Ireland and said the government are “charging a tax on a staple product that people simply cannot pay”.
Speaking to Newstalk radio on Tuesday morning, Ger Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said the organisation is not involved in the protest.
When pressed, Mr Hyland refused to say whether he supports the protest and said, “While our association is at the table trying to negotiate a deal with the government, I am not going to give an answer.”
He said he “empathised” with demonstrators, adding members of his organisation were “probably” involved and that “it’s up to every individual haulier himself to do as he sees fit for his company”.
12pm
Tractors, buses, lorries, trucks and cars are arriving in Dublin, after convoys gathered across the country this morning to protest against fuel price increases.
Large vehicles are lining O'Connell Street in the city centre to block the flow of traffic.
Demonstrators travelled along the M1, M7, N2, N3, N4 and N11 at slow speeds, causing delays for road users.
11am
The Tullamore bypass in Cffaly has around a kilometre-long line of protesters on the hard shoulder, made up of trucks, cars and vans.
The M8 is now fully closed in Cashel, Co Tipperary, due to protesters, while there are now traffic snarl-ups citybound on the M4 after Kilcock in Kildare.
Traffic on the M7 and M9 is starting to build as protesters merge to travel towards the M50. There is currently a queue back to The Curragh.
10am
Convoys have moved off from around the Midlands and the East of the country.
At Junction 8, Cashel North and South long lines of trucks, minibuses and cars groups gathered from before 8am to make their way to Dublin’s M50.
The Portlaoise fuel protest involving trucks, tractors and vans continues to travel from J17 in a slow-moving convoy back to the same junction.
On the N81 a protest convoy is currently traveling though Brittas.
In Athlone protesters are involved in a slow drive from Moate to the town with hauliers, farmers, bus companies, taxis and the general public.
As of yet, there are no delays on the M4, the primary route from Sligo to Dublin, which connects to the M50 at Junction 5 north-westwards.
Gardaí have warned of slow-moving traffic across the country as a protest against fuel prices got underway on Tuesday morning.
Posting on social media site X, An Garda Síochána said they were aware of convoys on the M7 and M4 in Co Kildare, on the M7 in Co Limerick, on the M8 in Co Offaly, on the M3 in Co Meath and on the M6 in Co Galway.
Posts on social media outlined that convoys of vehicles, including HGVs, agricultural and plant vehicles, would gather at various locations across the country.
The messages say the plan is for some of the convoys to remain in regional locations and some of them to converge in Dublin city centre.
Routes proposed online included the M1, N2, N3, N4, M7 and the N11.
It comes as fuel costs are expected to rise to €2.30 in the coming days due to the war in Iran.
'The People of Ireland Against Fuel Prices' group said thousands of trucks, buses and cars will eventually merge into one large convoy heading into O'Connell Street at around 11am, Newstalk reported.
Vehicles began departing from some areas as early as 6am, to eventually merge into one large convoy heading into Dublin.
Key merge points include Liffey Valley, The Red Cow, and the M50/Port Tunnel split.
Ger Hyland, the president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, has said he does not know who is organising Tuesday's fuel price protests.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast with Anton Savage, Hyland declined to say if he supported the protests.
“We empathise with them, we can see where they're coming from. Our position on this is that we are still at the table with government. We had a meeting with government last Friday, we're meeting with them again this week.”
As an association, the IRHA was not involved with the protest, he said, but it was up to every member to make their own decision.
“We have members who are probably involved in this today.
“They're involved in it because they can't afford to fuel their trucks. It's up to every individual haulier himself to do as he sees fit for his company," Hyland said.
Later on the same programme, Kevin McPartland, chief executive of Fuels for Ireland, said that the crux of the issue was excise duty.
The Exchequer was “not as far behind as they're letting on. They've let everybody off 20 cents a litre, but actually they're collecting 16 of that back in VAT. So I have a lot of sympathy with the protesters today.
“We need an expert group to have a comprehensive review of all of the taxation and compliance cost of fuel.
“If I was a haulier, if I was an agricultural contractor, I would be saying, yeah, but how do I remain in business today? I do think we need targeted responses for those particular sectors," McPartland said.
Members of the public are advised to plan their journeys by ensuring they leave additional time for possible traffic disruptions.
Gardaí have warned that there will be significant additional traffic, including slow-moving vehicles, on the main arteries leading to Dublin and in the vicinity of large urban areas across the country from around 8am.
Gardaí have had no role in permitting or authorising public gatherings or protests, but there is no permit required in order to organise any protest.
Additional reporting Sarah Slater
