Dozens of farmers are blockading the Department of Agriculture in Dublin.
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) demonstration is in protest against what they say is the 'inaction' of Minister Simon Coveney at a time of falling beef prices.
The protesters have built a hay barricade outside the Department and say they will stay there until they get a response from the Minister.
They are accusing Simon Coveney of siding with factories and 'letting down' livestock farmers still struggling in the aftermath of the horsemeat scandal.
IFA President Eddie Downey says Minister Coveney should represent farmers and not industry.
"The retailers and the meat factories have colluded to make sure that our prices fell on a continuous basis and they have damaged our incomes to a stage where there's no income left in this industry" he said.
"We need the Minister to stand up – not like he did in the forum the last day, where he sided completely with the factories – he needs to stand up and stand now with farmers" he added.
