Laois head of Ireland's haulier group calls for fuel supports to be extended
The Irish Road Haulage Association Ger Hyland has called for fuel supports to continue
Laois man and President of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), Ger Hyland, has called on the Government to extend fuel supports for the haulage industry until at least early autumn.
The IRHA President said that the peace deal forged in the Middle East in recent days was volatile and the Government must ensure that hauliers are supported until a lasting peace can be achieved and traffic can flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Government announced a €505 million fuel package in April after the nationwide fuel protests brought major road networks to a standstill over the soaring costs of fuel.
The supports in the package included direct payments to hauliers, bus operators, farmers, agricultural contractors and those involved in fisheries.
The Government also cut excise on petrol and diesel by 10c until the end of July.
Laois man Ger Hyland has now called on the continuation of supports for the industry.
“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,” he said.
Mr Hyland urged the Government that this is an essential industry and such support measures have been a vital lifeline for many haulage operators.
He also said 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 the Government in the coming days to discuss the potential extension of the 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.”