The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) president is set to be meet with Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien on Thursday morning to discuss “emergency measures” for reducing fuel costs.
The meeting comes amidst calls for the Government to take action on rising fuel prices due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Fuel prices have risen above €2 per litre in many forecourts across the country.
A protest scheduled for Tuesday, March 10 was called off by hauliers to allow for talks to take place between Mr O’Brien and IRHA president Ger Hyland.
Hauliers said last week that the conflict in the Middle East highlighted dysfunction in Ireland’s fuel market, with the Government taking more than 65pc of the price of a litre of petrol and more than 60pc of the price of a litre of diesel.
File image of a haulier protest in Dublin.
News in 90 seconds – March 18
They have called for a temporary suspension of the carbon tax hike and for the toll on the M50 to be removed for hauliers and motorists.
The IRHA has said the haulage industry “cannot be fobbed off with empty promises” ahead of the meeting with Mr O’Brien.
“Unless we leave that meeting with concrete and immediate proposals to reduce the cost of fuel, hauliers will be left with no choice but to launch immediate protest actions. Our members are ready,” Mr Hyland said.
Mr Hyland said haulage operators will not be able to continue to absorb rising costs without “urgent” intervention from the Government to reduce the tax burden on fuel.
“Hauliers are looking for decisive action – not warm words – and we will be making that position very clear when we meet the Minister tomorrow.”
Without action on fuel prices, hauliers have said there could be disruption to supply chain, higher prices at supermarkets and members of the haulage industry going out of business.
“When transport costs go up, groceries, clothes, building materials and everything in between goes up in price,” Mr Hyland added.
“Crippling fuel costs are just the latest escalating cost to follow higher tolls, new charges at Dublin Port and a host of other taxes and charges that this government has imposed on small businesses across rural Ireland.
“Government are asleep at the wheel and not listening to people who put them in power.”