FUEL protests may continue into tomorrow and the weekend unless the Government steps in and takes control.
That’s according to one of the protest organisers, Sonny Boyd, who told the Limerick Post that groups plan to stay where they are for as long as it takes.
As the third day of fuel protests continue, several fuel stations across Limerick and the Mid West have completely run out of fuel, resulting in large queues forming at petrol station forecourts.
Traffic remains at a gridlock across Limerick city and county, with no clear end in sight as to when the protests might come to an end.
Earlier today, Gardaí confirmed that assistance from the Defence Forces had been requested in the form of heavy vehicle recovery at Foynes Port in County Limerick.
HSE Mid West issued a statement saying staff are facing significant travel delays with an increase in service users arriving late for appointments or not attending at all because of the ongoing fuel protests.
In a statement to the Limerick Post, a spokesman for HSE Mid West said: “Services in acute hospitals across the HSE Mid West continue to operate as normal. We are aware of patients who are experiencing delays due to traffic congestion and they are being encouraged to attend for their appointments or reschedule for the earliest available date. Patients can contact our services directly if they have any concerns.”
“The current traffic disruption has impacted on interhospital transfers, with patients facing delays,” the spokesman added.
The statement also acknowledged the commitment of staff for their additional efforts to arrive to work on time. There have also been delays for staff carrying out home visits to patients.
HSE Mid West said: “We encourage all service users who are concerned about being late for or missing an appointment to contact their service directly so that appointments can be facilitated at the earliest possible date.”