WATCH: 'Come and talk to us'- Protestors in Limerick speak on rising fuel costs

PROTESTORS currently between Limerick and Foynes have spoken out on the fuel price hikes which are affecting their businesses and livelihoods. 

Speaking to Limerick Live in Foynes Port this Thursday morning, a protestor, as seen above, said they are back at the location because "the government don't seem to be wanting to speak to us at all" and that the way this is being handled about shows "disrespect" to the protest group. 

The fuel depot in Foynes is currently blocked by protestors. Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, April 9, Fuels for Ireland CEO Kevin McPartlan warned that 50% of homes and businesses in Ireland will not have access to fuel if the blockade of depots goes on. 

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The protestor continued: "They (the government) keep talking with organizations like the IFA, the IRHA, where have they been with the last three days? They distanced themselves from this organisation, from this protest. They refuse to speak with our leaders of this protest. They keep talking about the IRHA. The IRHA only represents half of the truckers in this country.

"All these truckers with these smaller operations, they're not qualifying for this rebate. All these men here, agri contractors, big plant operators, bus drivers, taxi drivers, all these men, these are the boys suffering from all these diesel prices."

He said that originally, they were told this would be a temporary problem but "all these men have been running their businesses at a loss in the last couple of weeks, can't keep doing that. They're at the end of their tether." 

In this season, those working in agriculture are expected to burn thousands upon thousands of litres every day and so, they need subsistence from the government due to the rising costs. 

"They keep saying they can’t do nothing about it, of course they can and they need to come and just at least, all we've asked from the start is, come and talk to us." 

Also speaking to Limerick Live at Foynes was Independent Ireland TD Richard O'Donoghue. 

He said, "There are peaceful protests here. They’re a great bunch of people but they're here fighting for the people of Ireland. So there's businesses here, there's contractors here, so it affects everyone. It affects your shopping at the end of the week. That's why we're here and that's what we're doing to protect the people of Ireland when our own government won’t." 

It has been confirmed that the Defence Forces will be deployed to move vehicles which are blocking “critical infrastructure,” according to the Department of Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan.