Members of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) are set to protest at the Convention Centre in Dublin on Wednesday of this week (June 16) against the passage of the Climate Action Bill.

The Convention Centre is currently the home of the Dáil, in order to allow for social distancing among TDs.

The Climate Action Bill is set to be passed by TDs there on Wednesday.

Speaking to Agriland, Clare IFA chairperson Tom Lane confirmed that the protest on Wednesday at the Convention Centre will be largely comprised of the association’s various county chairpersons, along with some other officials.

The IFA’s Environment Committee may also play a role, if Covid-19 guidelines around social distancing can be maintained among participants.

Lane said that it was hoped that there would be some 100 participants at the protest.

Protesters will seek to meet with TDs at the Convention Centre to raise various issues around the Climate Action Bill.

Unlike the IFA ‘day of action’ last Friday (June 11), Wednesday’s protest will not feature tractors.

Earlier today, IFA president Tim Cullinan claimed that there is a lack of proper scrutiny and debate over the bill in the Dáil.

The bill is currently making its way through the legislative process, and completed the committee stage of that process last week.

However, Cullinan claimed that the bill is “being rammed through” and that this “debases democracy”.

“The plan to ram this legislation through the Dáil on Wednesday is a cynical attempt to avoid further scrutiny of the bill, which contains fundamental flaws.

“This is a very significant piece of legislation that deserves serious debate. It will have ramifications for the future of our sector and the entire economy,” the IFA president added.

He continued: “There has to be proper parliamentary oversight and debate where the detail of the bill is properly scrutinised. The three government parties cannot vote this through as it stands.”