National Emergency Coordination Group Convened on Traffic and Transport Disruption

The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) was convened today to assess the impacts of ongoing blockades on the transport network and the effects on vital services. The NECG brings together all relevant Government Departments and State agencies to coordinate the response to emergencies.

The group was briefed that the blockades are continuing to cause significant disruption for the public, to supply chains and vital services, including emergency services and public transport.

The NECG was briefed that Ireland's fuel supplies overall remain robust and resilient. The current situation is solely a distribution issue that can be alleviated by ending blockades and restoring access for delivery vehicles.

Road access to a number of ports continues to be constricted, which is affecting the distribution of fuel to service stations in some parts of the country. A number of emergency services operate on the basis of fuel cards and obtain their fuel from forecourts. There is now serious concern regarding access to fuel for emergency service vehicles, and this may have consequent impacts on the availability of some services should the disruption continue. A NECG sub-group has been established to focus on the specific impacts on the emergency services fleet and to consider possible contingencies.

The HSE briefed the group that transport disruption is causing people to miss scheduled medical appointments and is impacting the provision of homecare and critical care, such as dialysis and cancer treatment, to some service users. The HSE also warned that the blockades have the potential to disrupt the time-sensitive delivery of key medicines and medical devices, given that frequent and reliable transport is critical to their supply.

The NECG was briefed on the impacts being felt by the agriculture sector. The obstruction of key access routes from ports is now threatening the provision of animal feed supplies and other vital materials, resulting in potential animal welfare issues and a threat to livelihoods. Some farms are also experiencing disruption to fertiliser delivery.

An Garda Síochána is operating the "4 Es" model: engage, explain, encourage, enforce. Policing is moving into enforcement stage. Gardaí are advising those involved to immediately cease blockades. An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces are working collaboratively in this regard.

The public are advised to plan their journey before travelling and allow extra travel time. The National Transport Authority has established a dedicated web page for information on service disruptions. The public can also check traffic.tii.ie for general traffic alerts. Those using public transport should check with their operators in case of diversions or disruption.

The NECG will meet on an ongoing basis to continue to monitor the situation and will provide regular updates to Government.