Irish police clear blockades as Dublin acts to soften fuel price blow

By Conor Humphries

DUBLIN, April 12 (Reuters) - Irish police on Sunday cleared tractors and trucks that had been blocking traffic and blockading oil infrastructure across the country during a wave of protests against surging fuel prices.

In a bid to ease the discontent, the government announced 500 million euros ($586 million) worth of spending increases and tax cuts to soften the impact on consumers and businesses.

Protesters, angered by a more than 20% rise in diesel prices since the outbreak of the Iran war, had used vehicles to block an oil refinery, two ports, a fuel terminal and Irish roads.

The protests caused major transport disruption in Dublin and left about a third of Ireland's petrol stations without fuel, creating what Finance Minister Simon Harris described as a "very dangerous moment" for the country.

Police removed vehicles blocking access to Ireland's only oil refinery on Saturday and cleared a blockade of Galway Port, a major fuel depot, and removed roadblocks in Dublin on Sunday.

The government has refused to negotiate with the protesters, who included farmers, drivers and contractors, who complained that an earlier 250 million euro package to temporarily cut taxes on petrol and diesel did not go far enough.

But after talks with agricultural and transport industry groups, Dublin announced measures including a 10 cent per litre reduction for diesel and petrol and a delay in an increase in a carbon tax. A fuel subsidy support scheme will also be introduced for farming and fisheries, the government said.

A poll in the Sunday Independent newspaper showed that 56% of voters surveyed supported the protesters, but that most supporters of the two governing parties opposed them.

($1 = 0.8533 euros)