As members of the IFA grain committee continued to occupy the ground floor of Agriculture House on Wednesday evening, their chairman Liam Dunne stressed that the protest will go on “as long as necessary”.

The protest began at 3:30pm after the IFA reported that numerous expected meetings on the proposed tillage support fund had been cancelled. IFA president Joe Healy and director general Damian McDonald joined the grain growers shortly before 7:30pm.

The mood so far has been buoyant and defiant, with numerous politicians entering Agriculture House to show support. Fianna Fáil agriculture spokespeople Charlie McConalogue and Paul Daly (pictured above), and rural independent group members Michael and Danny Healy-Rae, Michael Collins and Mattie McGrath all visited the protesters.

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Earlier on Wednesday, the department confirmed that a meeting would be set up “as soon as possible”. While the protesters welcomed this move, they said it was not enough.

“At this stage, we need to see chapter and verse and get this fund finalised,” they told the Irish Farmers Journal. Garda presence

There has been a Garda presence in the building since the start of the protest, with up to five members of the force monitoring the action. The protesters have sleeping bags with them, which Dunne says they will use if needs be.

“We are willing to wait here until we get our meeting. We are not leaving otherwise,” he said.

There may be logistical problems for the farmers. They are unsure as to how long Agriculture House will be open and they have no food or toilet facilities available to them in the reception area, should they choose to lock the door and stay the night.

Michael Healy-Rae provided refreshments in the form of tea delivered from the neighbouring Dáil as the evening wore on.

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