The Cabinet discussed yesterday the possibility of paying compensation to farmers who have lost out in a change in the payment of EU headage. The EU office in Dublin has been occupied over the issue for seven days.
The Department of Agriculture and Food refused to comment on progress in resolving the issue, other than to say the matter had been discussed by the Ministers and negotiations were continuing.
There was a muted statement too from the Irish Farmers' Association, which has been supporting 30 members holding a sit-in protest at the EU office.
The president of the IFA, Mr Tom Parlon - who has urged the Government to increase the Irish taxpayers' contribution to compensate the 20,000 losers in the £120 million scheme - signalled the sit-in would continue.
The IFA plan would involve a substantial increase in the overall payments in the scheme, however, which up to now has been funded at the rate of 65 per cent from the EU and the remainder by the Irish taxpayer.
Mr Parlon indicated he would be raising the matter at today's review of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, where the social partners will be looking to the Government to offset the erosion caused by inflation.
The president of Macra na Feirme, Mr T.J. Maher, said he will be asking why, during a period of unprecedented economic boom, young rural people continued to suffer from lack of employment opportunities, underemployment, and a lack of physical and social infrastructure required to work and live comfortably.