Ireland faces possible fuel price hikes and renewed haulier protests

Irish hauliers warn that rising international fuel costs, driven by renewed conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine, are pushing wholesale diesel prices up by around €0.20‑€0.25 per litre. Retailers have so far absorbed much of the increase, but experts caution that planned government excise‑duty restorations and a possible carbon‑tax rise could lift diesel prices to about €2.30 per litre by early 2027.

The Road Haulage Association, whose members participated in earlier protests after diesel exceeded €1.90 per litre, says further fuel protests cannot be ruled out if costs continue to climb. President Ger Hyland warned that “desperate times make desperate people,” emphasizing the sector’s importance to Ireland’s wider economy and noting the €120 million Road Transporters Supports Scheme introduced after the March protests.