Fuel prices, protests, and growing pressure on businesses — it’s been a turbulent week across Ireland, with road blockades and demonstrations highlighting just how strongly people are feeling about the rising cost of fuel, driven in part by ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
But beyond the disruption on our roads, there are wider knock-on effects beginning to take hold — particularly in industries that rely heavily on transport, machinery, and materials.
The construction sector is one of those feeling the strain. From the cost of moving supplies to powering equipment on site, volatility in fuel prices is now creating real uncertainty for projects and companies, both locally and nationally.
So what does this mean in practical terms? Are building projects at risk of delay? And could this add further pressure to an already stretched housing supply?
We were joined on The Agenda this morning by a representative from the Construction Industry Federation, Meabh Smith (who is also a Meath resident), and Meabh has been speaking directly with companies across the region to get a sense of how serious the situation has become.