The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has welcomed a number of measures set out in Budget 2027, which the association says it had campaigned for.

Those measures include a continuation of the diesel rebate scheme until the end of 2026 with continued review, an extra two month payment to hauliers under the Road Transporters Support Scheme (RTSS) to be paid before Christmas, and a continuation of the fuel excise reductions into the Spring of 2027.

IRHA President Ger Hyland described these supports as much-needed and welcomed measures that will help keep inflation under control, support small businesses and have a positive impact on households, consumers across the country and the haulage sector.

Mr Hyland said: “These measures will help to keep prices at the supermarket down. It will also breathe some life into our industry, which simply cannot afford diesel prices at up to and over €2.20 a litre”

The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has expressed its disappointment at the Government’s decision not to introduce targeted biofuel subsidies for the heavy goods vehicle sector in Budget 2027.

The IRHA had proposed two practical and targeted measures: a 12 cent per litre Biofuel Rebate Scheme for the sustainable component of blended diesel and a 24 cent per litre rebate for operators using 100% HVO as a diesel substitute. Neither proposal was taken up in Budget 2027.

IRHA President Ger Hyland said he has spoken directly to Minister Darragh O’Brien who has committed to work with the haulage sector in developing a plan to incentivise biofuels over the coming 12 month period.

According to Ger Hyland, the supports that were laid out in this budget will help to ensure that many small and mid-sized hauliers can continue to operate and keep their trucks on the road until the end of 2026. Impending global headwinds continue to be a concern for the haulage sector and the IRHA will continue engagement with government in relation to future possible supports.

MR Hyland described the supports in Budget 2027 as a recognition of the importance of the haulage industry to the Irish economy.

He said: “This budget gives hauliers something to work with, but not everything we had asked for. There are some welcome measures and we recognise the steps the Government has taken. We see this as a step in the right direction rather than the final destination. The road ahead remains long, and we will continue to make the case for the measures needed to support a competitive, sustainable and resilient Irish road haulage sector – including a move to biofuels to decarbonise our industry”

Mr Hyland paid tribute to Department of Transport officials, Minister Darragh O’Brien, Minister Sean Canney, Minister Jack Chambers, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris for listening to and engaging with the negotiating team from the Irish Road Haulage Association in the run up to Budget 2027.

He has committed to continued dialogue and negotiation in a bid to bring about better conditions and a better working environment for the Irish Haulage sector over the coming five years.