Weeks after widespread public demonstrations against skyrocketing fuel prices brought major Irish infrastructure to a standstill, the Irish government has formally announced a new €220 million (£191 million) targeted relief package designed to ease cost pressures on commercial transport operators, farmers, agricultural contractors and fishers. The government has emphasized that policy work on the support framework began long before protests kicked off early in April, when demonstrators blocked key motorways across the country and paralyzed Dublin’s main commercial thoroughfare.
This new package marks the latest round of government intervention to address volatile fuel costs, following earlier cuts to excise duty on both petrol and diesel rolled out in preceding months. Details of the two new targeted schemes were laid out by cabinet ministers on Wednesday at Dublin’s Government Buildings.
The first initiative, the €120 million Road Transporters Supports Scheme, is tailored for road hauliers, bus companies and coach operators. The program will be backdated to March, covering the period when average national diesel prices surged past the €1.90 per litre benchmark – a threshold the government identifies as the point where fuel costs become unsustainable for commercial transport operators. Payments under the scheme are structured on a graduated sliding scale tied to the number of vehicles an operator holds on their license: operators with five or fewer vehicles will receive €1,350 per vehicle, those with 6 to 20 vehicles get €790 per vehicle, and businesses with more than 21 vehicles will receive €300 per vehicle. Applications for the scheme will open in May 2026.
The second initiative, the €100 million Fuel Support Scheme, targets farmers, agricultural contractors and commercial fishers, who rely heavily on green diesel – a marked fuel priced lower for agricultural use that has seen significant cost hikes in recent months. This program is also backdated to March and will run through the end of July, providing support equal to roughly 20 euro cents per litre of green diesel (€200 per 1,000 litres), based on verified fuel usage from 2025.
Alongside the two sector-specific support schemes, the government is launching a public communications campaign to share guidance for households and small businesses looking to manage rising energy and fuel costs. Counting this latest announcement and all prior excise cuts, the Irish government has now allocated a total of €755 million (£654 million) to fuel-related relief measures in recent months. It has also paused scheduled annual increases to the national carbon tax to avoid further pushing up fuel costs for consumers and businesses.
Speaking at the announcement, Irish Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien framed the new package as targeted and time-limited, noting that while the government retains flexibility to introduce additional support if needed, it must maintain sustainable management of public finances. Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon added that the package reflects the government’s commitment to responding in real time to the cost challenges facing key sectors of the Irish economy.