A high-stakes meeting taking place at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is unlikely to see agreement today, it is understood.

Agriland understands that a proposal has been tabled to meet again on Monday, and for engagement to continue in the meantime over the weekend, although this hasn't been finally decided yet.

Stakeholders in the meeting have apparently been told that there will be no supports put forward on fuel prices until blockades end.

This is leading to considerable frustration from sectoral representatives, it is understood.

In recent days fuel price protesters have blockaded a number sites critical to the importation and distribution of fuel in Ireland.

This has led to filling stations in various parts of the country running out of fuel, with some rural areas seeing fuel running out at all filling stations within considerable travelling distances.

A meeting at Agriculture House on Kildare Street in Dublin is taking place today with recognised representatives of farmers, contractors and hauliers.

Representatives of those protesting fuel prices and carrying out the blockades are not taking part in the meeting.

However, the government representatives - including Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon - are understood to be taking a hard line on the situation in the ongoing meeting.

Agriland understands that government representatives have hinted at the possibility of measures being put in place to reduce the impact of fuel prices, but that they will not be brought forward while the blockades are ongoing.

Farmer and contractor representatives have been told that these blockades will have to end before proposals are formally put on the table.

Protesters not invited

After some earlier confusion over whether the fuel price protesters would be invited to the meeting, it has now been confirmed that they are not taking part.

Four nominated representatives from the fuel price protest planned to attend the meeting today (Friday, April 10) that is being hosted by three government ministers.

A group of about half-a-dozen protesters arrived at Agriculture House, but did not gain entry, subsequently departing Kildare Street.

While there, one protester told journalists: "There's no one gone in there [to the meeting] that can represent us".

Meeting

A roundtable discussion is taking place with recognised representative organisations and government representatives at Agriculture House, the department's head offices.

The meeting includes representatives of hauliers as well farmer representative organisations and the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI).

The meeting is hosted by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon; Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien; and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Timmy Dooley.