hhhThe Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has called on Government to extend fuel supports until at least the early autumn

IRHA President, Ger Hyland, described yesterday’s peace deal in the Middle East as volatile and called on the government to maintain fuel supports in place until we are sure that a lasting peace can be achieved and that traffic can flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Hyland said: “We are strongly advocating that supports are maintained until at least the early autumn. A breakdown of this peace deal could lead to a further spike in fuel prices. We feel it is premature to talk about removing supports from a transport industry that desperately needs them”

Mr Hyland said he would remind Government ministers that hauliers are an essential industry, responsible for transporting 99% of the goods people wear, eat and consume. He described the support measures as a vital lifeline that helped prevent many haulage operators from falling into bankruptcy. He also noted that the fuel subsidies played an important role in keeping inflation in check by lowering the transportation costs of goods moving through the supply chain.

Hauliers will be meeting with Government in the coming days and will make a clear case for the extension of existing fuel supports.

Mr. Hyland said motorists and the transport sector just need “a little more time to give the peace plan in the Middle East a chance to work and for fuel prices to come down to more sustainable levels”

“If this peace plan works, then we may see fuel prices drop to pre-war levels by the end of the year. It makes sense to extend fuel supports until that happens” he continued.