April 14, 2026

The Irish government has announced a support package worth 505 million euros ($591 million) to assist those hardest-hit by rising fuel costs following a week of public anger and demonstrations across the country.

The hike in prices resulting from the conflict in Iran has led to protesters blocking fuel distribution sites and major roads, and now the country's Prime Minister Micheal Martin has announced the extension of temporary cuts to duty on petrol, diesel, and other types of oil, along with the postponement of a planned carbon tax increase.

Blockades involving slow-moving vehicles have seen many petrol stations run out of fuel, and in County Cork in the south of the country, police used pepper spray to clear protesters blocking trucks leaving a fuel refinery.

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https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202604/14/WS69dd65c8a310d6866eb432ad.html