A plan to cull cattle by a third is a 'vicious strike against the heart of rural Ireland'.

That's the condemnation from the Rural Independent Group of TDs which calls for an EPA report suggesting it to be incinerated.

It believes the proposals to reduce the national herd will destroy the livelihoods of Irish beef, dairy and sheep farmers.

Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath is demanding Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and the Agriculture Minister scrap it...