Protesters at an oil refinery in the Republic of Ireland have been pushed back by gardaí (police) using pepper spray, in an operation supported by the Irish Defence Forces.
The protesters have been blockading Whitegate Refinery in County Cork as part of demonstrations across the country against high fuel prices.
Gardaí moved in to gain entry to the oil refinery and said an operation was ongoing 'to ensure critical supplies of fuel to maintain critical emergency public services, including ambulance and fire services'.
Hundreds of petrol stations in the country have run out of fuel as the protests - involving slow-moving convoys made up of vehicles including tractors - continue for a fifth day.
Blockades at fuel depots in counties Limerick and Galway are continuing.
Footage posted by gardaí on Saturday afternoon showed them escorting oil tankers leaving Whitegate after they restored access to the refinery.
Fuels for Ireland, which represents companies that import, distribute, and sell fuel warned two-thirds of petrol stations in Ireland would be out of stock by the end of Saturday if the blockades at the fuel-storage facilities continued.
The Irish government confirmed a fuel support package was being finalised after what it described as 'constructive engagement' with representatives of the haulage and farming sectors.
The package will include a temporary Fuel Support Scheme aimed at the haulage, agri-business and contractor sectors.
Meetings between government ministers and representatives of farmers and hauliers to finalise the new government package of fuel supports are taking place on Saturday.
The blockade of parts of Dublin city centre is continuing, with O'Connell Street and South Quay closed to traffic.
Other disruptions include:
- A blockade on the M50, with parts of the road closed
- The M7 at Portlaoise is blocked in both directions
- On the M8, at Cashel south, there is a blockage northbound
- Road blocks are reported in Monaghan town and on the N2 bypass, on the M18/N18 in County Clare, and the M20/N20, between Patrickswell and Raheen in County Limerick
There has been a warning that ships could soon be turned away from Rosslare Europort in County Wexford due to capacity issues.
Protesters have set up a blockade at the nearby village of Kilrane about a mile from the port.
A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) said the situation could come to a head late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning.
Public transport has also been affected, with some services suspended and major disruption in Dublin.
Bus Éireann said it would try to serve Dublin Airport passengers where possible, while people travelling to Shannon and Dublin Airports are advised to allow extra time.
An Garda Síochána (the Irish police service), has declared an 'exceptional event' in response to the fuel protests, allowing it to double the number of officers available to work.
Meanwhile, the Police Service of Northern Ireland is assessing social media posts calling for planned protests and has prepared a response to minimise disruption and ensure public safety.
Northern Ireland's Department for Infrastructure advised people to allow extra time for their journeys should protests go ahead.
Meetings between Irish ministers and stakeholders are expected to continue over the weekend.
On Friday, Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) and Finance Minister Simon Harris said that there would be a 'substantial and significant' package of support for 'key sectors of the economy'.
Harris said the talks were 'going well', adding that further 'intensive engagement' into the weekend was likely, but he added: 'The blockade has to end.'
Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin stated that the blockades meant the country was 'on the precipice of turning oil away from the country' during a global oil supply crisis.
The protests started on Tuesday morning, driven by a spike in global oil prices linked to geopolitical tensions.
