Several TDs have been unable to leave Leinster House in Dublin city because of climate change protests.
They have been stuck in the building for the past three hours because Extinction Rebellion protesters are blocking the gates.
Newstalk.com understands that around 20 TDs and some ministers are in the building.
Groups are blocking both gates which access Leinster House, with some chained to the gates.
A request by one TD to leave for family reasons was denied by the protesters.
Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice is there and says he and his colleagues can keep working.
"From what I understand - now obviously were in our offices - there is protesters at the gate outside Leinster House.
"My understanding is it's at both gates.
"But we have plenty of work that we can be at in our offices - everyone has a right to protest.
"We can stay here pretty late because we have all our offices.
"The most thing you'd worry about is if the city was being blocked up with people trying to go home from work, trying to pick up children and that".
Earlier, protesters marched through the streets of the capital dressed as trees.
The demonstrators were calling for a complete restructuring of the Government’s forestry policies.
Ireland currently has the lowest forest cover of any country in the EU at just 11% – aside from Malta which has no natural freshwater.
It also has one of the highest rates of plantation forestry with more than half the country’s forests comprised of Sitka Spruce, which demonstrators are warning “scars the landscape, supports almost no Irish wildlife and requires heavy pesticide and fertiliser use.”
Extinction Rebellion protestors outside Leinster House, 10-10-2019. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNewsOnly 2% of the countryside is covered by native Irish woodland.
The protesters are warning that this is a “deciding factor in the severe decline and threatened extinctions of many of our Irish birds, mammals, and precious pollinators.”
“Ethiopia just planted 350 million trees in a day,” they said in a statement.
“The Irish Government has planted less than 440 million in 21 long years. They can, and must do a lot better.
“Native broadleaf trees should be prioritised in tandem with a policy of deliberate rewilding of land to encourage wildlife recovery – and encouraging small farmers to grow native trees on their lands.”
TODAY @ 3:30 PM
Rally At The Boat @ Merrion SquareThis could be the afternoon that changes humans history, do you want to miss it? pic.twitter.com/MrwXzM0tw0
— Extinction Rebellion Ireland (@ExtinctRebelsIE) October 10, 2019
The demonstration was inspired by the ‘Ents’ or giant tree-like beings from JRR Tolkien’s 'Lord of the Rings'.
Some of our incredible rebels are glued on at RedFlag, the lobbyists destroying our planet
Come show your support 💚 pic.twitter.com/1xqfAK7n7m
— Extinction Rebellion Ireland (@ExtinctRebelsIE) October 10, 2019
Many of the policies they are calling for are contained in a Green Party bill aiming to fundamentally change Ireland's forestry model - and begin restoring native Irish woodlands right across the country.
Meanwhile an Extinction Rebellion protester earlier forced an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin to return to the terminal at London City Airport.
Footage shared by Twitter user Warren Swalbe showed the protester telling an air hostess: “I don't wish to travel with you but I don't wish to get off.”
“I'm extremely sorry for the inconvenience,” she said.
