Road hauliers and Government representatives meet this afternoon against a background of rising oil prices and efforts by European transport ministers to reach a common approach to the developing fuel crisis.
Oil prices hit another 10-year high yesterday, rising to $37.20 a barrel for US-produced oil. Last night, a meeting of EU transport ministers decided to set up a forum to examine the problems of the road haulage industry.
Before today's meeting there were distinct differences of emphasis between the hauliers and the Government on the agenda and conduct of the talks at Government Buildings in Dublin.
The president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, Mr Gerry McMahon, said he and three other delegates would be meeting the Government task force "to discuss excise duties on fuel". He said his association would expect a "prompt response" on reducing the level of excise duty. He added that the possibility of further protests had not been ruled out.
Government sources said the meeting would cover "other issues of importance to the industry" besides taxation. Excise duties were a budgetary matter.
However, the sources stressed there would be "no problem" discussing the mechanism for the hauliers to take up the question of excise duties with the Department of Finance.
