Independent Ireland is organising a national day of protest against the Mercosur trade deal.

Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice broke the news when appearing on the Joe Finnnegan Show on Friday morning on Shannonside FM, with MEP Ciaran Mullooly confirming it across social media over the last couple of hours.

There will be a national rally in Athlone on Saturday 10 January.

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Deputy Fitzmaurice called on the farming families of Ireland to register their outright opposition to the Irish Government ratifying the trade deal.

Mullooly said: "It's time for Irish farmers and rural communities to unite and stand together against (the) Mercosur trade deal."

Member states were due to ratify the deal in a vote this week, but following the French and Italian governments' call for a delay to allow further discussions around safeguards for farmers, the vote has been pushed back to next month.

Call to action

Independent Ireland has issued "a united national call to action" where it urges "farmers, farming organisations, co-ops, agri-businesses, meat factories, feed merchants, rural businesses, rural workers and public representatives of all political parties and none" to stand together.

On Thursday, Micheál Martin admitted Ireland's ability ot stand against Mercosur has been affected by the political capital spent gaining a renewal of the nitrates derogation.

He also highlighted the competing priority of the multi-annual financial framework (MFF) and the CAP budget, which was under discussion at Thursday's meeting of the European Council.

That's the body where heads of government across the 27 member states determine and sign off on European Union policy in conjunction with the European Parliament and the Commission. Martin is set to chair that council from 1 July next, so will play a pivotal role in brokering agreement across the MFF.

"This is a time for rural communities to unite and pull on the green jersey," said Deputy Fitzmaurice.

"Mercosur is an existential threat to family farms, to rural Ireland and to our food standards, as proven by the recent report in the Irish Farmers Journal. This is above politics, this is about our future."