Lightning Dublin Port haulier blockade causes much disruption

This morning's blockade of the State's largest port by hauliers took place without notice, causing widespread disruption in the Dublin Port area.

The Irish Road Haulage Association claimed the lightning strike blocked as many as 500 lorries which were arriving or leaving on ferries, or in the port for the busy Monday morning arrival of container ships.

Dublin Port Tunnel southbound had to be closed for safety reasons. Early morning commuters faced long delays.

The hauliers have a case for their protest. Lorries registered in the Republic are faced with road tax demands of up to €4,000 a year, but the equivalent rate is just €823 (£640) in Northern Ireland.

Irish-registered lorries hauling goods across the UK are also required to pay a road toll of €13 (£10) per day, while UK-registered lorries are not. There is no similar charge on foreign lorries operating in the Republic.

In effect, two similar trucks competing for the same business in the same country, using the same roads, are subject to vastly different taxation systems - the foreign ones enjoying a far cheaper cost base.

Already the hauliers claim up to 1,500 heavy goods vehicles, out of a national fleet of some 22,000, have been re-registered outside the State, particularly in Northern Ireland, over the last 18 months. They predict a further 3,500 will now “reflag” out of the State by Christmas.

The disparity threatens all of the 50,000 jobs in the industry, the association claims.

But what has prompted this lightning strike is the anger of hauliers who feel politicians including the Taoiseach reneged on promises to address the issue.

Eoin Gavin, president of the hauliers' association, claims he met the Taoiseach twice in recent months and was given to understand action on the issue would be taken in the Budget. The association has also lobbied politicians and made its case at the Oireachtas Committee on Transport a number of times.

The bill to equalise road tax between the Republic and the UK would be €20 million a year, but the industry said this would be recouped in corporate taxes and Vat, among other steps.

The AA has even suggested current road tax arrangements be replaced by the imposition of a few cents on a litre of fuel - this being easier to administer and a fairer demonstration of the user pays principle.

But Gerry McMahon, general secretary of the association, said an email was received from the Department of Finance on the morning of the Budget stressing the issue was one for the Department of the Environment.

“It is exactly what they said last year,” he said.

The Government needs to address the road tax issue - and preferably before the next lightning strike.