As protests and blockades over high fuel prices continue across Europe, the Taoiseach has agreed to meet Irish road hauliers to discuss their concerns about the rising cost of diesel. But playing down expectations of an immediate cut in taxes, Mr Ahern said that the issue could be discussed only in the context of the next Budget.
The President of the Irish Road Haulage Association, Gerry McMahon, described the upcoming meeting with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance as a "very positive response" to the truckers' concerns. Mr McMahon said that he received a call from the Taoiseach's office this morning, stating that Mr Ahern as well as Minister McCreevy and a senior official from the Department of Finance, would meet the IRHA at 5.00pm on Wednesday.
He said that he would be hopeful that this meeting could lead to a resolution of the problem. No protest action will be staged by the Association in advance of this meeting. However, Mr McMahon said that their national council would still be meeting in Dublin tomorrow night to decide what form their actions should take on Friday if the talks fail.
Earlier, the Tánaiste and Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment has said that, while she has sympathy for the hauliers, OPEC oil prices are outside the control of the Government. Speaking to reporters in Beijing, Mary Harney said that the question of a reduction of excise duty was a budgetary one and could not be resolved overnight.
Representatives of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation and other fishermen’s bodies will meet the Minister for the Marine Frank Fahey also on Wednesday to discuss fuel prices. Joey Murrin of the KFO said that the current situation is a crisis which is putting fishermen out of business. The only realistic proposal that can be put on the table at the moment, he said, is a boat "tie up" compensation package similar to the "set-a-side" package for farmers.
