Three farmers occupied the Department of Agriculture's district veterinary office in Naas, Co Kildare, yesterday in protest at being asked to move their sheep from grazing lands at the Curragh.
The farmers are refusing to comply with an order from the Department to move their sheep from the commonage to their own farmland as a precaution against the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.
Their sit-in at the Department's offices ended when gardai were called. A Garda spokesman said there was no difficulty with the situation, and no one was charged.
Last night a spokesman for the Department said the matter would be "disposed of" today. The Department would take whatever action it felt necessary to ensure the sheep were moved. This could include ordering them to be slaughtered.
Last week the Department asked farmers with land adjoining the Curragh to move their sheep to their own lands. Three farmers who had not done so were warned they should comply with the order on Monday and would receive final warnings today.
"We had intended that all sheep would be off the Curragh today, but three owners are refusing to co-operate," the Department spokesman said. "Basically we will have to return to the matter tomorrow."
Meanwhile, those farmers grazing the Curragh who do not have land adjoining the commonage were permitted to leave their sheep on the Curragh until permits were issued to have them transported away by road yesterday.
Six permits were issued to the farmers yesterday, and their sheep were moved to privately owned land where they will be kept under observation.