Farmers picketing on factory gates have put forward a suggestion to organise a convoy of tractors to Dublin this Friday.

It has been mooted that up to 200 tractors will take part in the convoy.

It is planned to leave the southeast of the country in the early morning and head towards Dublin, passing a number of protest sites.

Any protests will be local actions not national ones

In a statement, the Independent Farmers of Ireland said it was not organising the protest.

“These peaceful protests have always been made up of independent men and women who are responsible for their own actions.

"They have made this decision locally not nationally, so any protests will be local actions not national ones,” a spokesperson for the group said.

'Counter-productive'

The group applauded the initiative of those involved, but said it felt a convoy of tractors blocking Dublin would be counter-productive and only serve to upset the general public.

It said this was the widespread feeling among the majority of peaceful protesters.

“However, if people feel they need to proceed in this manner, it will be individuals acting on their own initiative rather than any group,” the spokesperson said.

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