Farmers protesting against the terms of the proposed tillage crisis fund have remained in the Department of Agriculture overnight. They insist that they will not leave until they secure a meeting with Department officials to secure an increase in the proposed maximum ceiling for the tillage fund.

Farmers who lost €4.1m of their grain and straw in the disastrous 2016 harvest believed the tillage crisis fund would make them eligible for up to €15,000 under the EU’s de minimis rules on state aid for weather-related schemes. However, it emerged earlier this week that a cap of €5,000 was mooted for the scheme.

Angry tillage farmers staged a sit-in at the Department of Agriculture at 3.30pm on Wednesday afternoon and remained there overnight, sleeping on the floor and on benches in the Kildare St building.

7am talks

Aidan O'Driscoll, the Department of Agriculture's secretary general, arrived at Kildare St and spoke to the protesters at 7am on Thursday. The talks lasted 20 minutes but have not resulted in any change as farmers remain in situ in Agriculture House.

"Our views have not changed. We are still not going to accept €5,000," IFA grain chair Liam Dunne told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Farmers were accompanied by a member of An Garda Síochána and three Department of Agriculture officials throughout the night.

Lock-out

Department of Agriculture officials stated they would not allow any new protesting farmers to enter the building after 7.45am on Thursday morning.

The Department's toilets are not available to the farmers, meaning that those who stayed overnight were been forced to use facilities in a 24-hour café nearby. They had been allowed to re-enter Agriculture House overnight but have now been told that only those who were there overnight can return.

No new farmers arriving to join the protest will be given access to the Department building.

Irish Farmers Journal news correspondent Anthony Jordan remains in Agriculture House with the IFA to bring live coverage from the sit-in.

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