,All Government Ministers are to travel to Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, this morning to discuss regional development with local representatives and hold a full Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet will consider whether it can take action to encourage more price competition among meat-processing plants in an effort to resolve the week-long dispute between meat factories and farmers.
Ministers will also receive a report on recent flood damage in the State, and may appoint a new Chief Justice to replace Mr Justice Liam Hamilton, who retires at the end of this month.
Protesting farmers, student nurses and anti-abortion activists are expected to greet the Ministers, a number of whom may fly to Knock Airport with the remainder travelling by road.
Weather permitting, the Taoiseach, Dr Michael Woods, Mr Michael Smith, Mr John O'Donoghue and Mr Micheal Martin will travel from Dublin Airport on an Air Corps Beechcraft plane.
They would then travel to Ballaghaderreen either in their ministerial cars or on a special bus.
However, a reappearance of the fog which hung over Knock Airport yesterday morning will scupper this plan, and these Ministers will join the others on the road journey west.
The Cabinet will meet at 10.45 a.m. in Dillon House in Ballaghaderreen. At 2 p.m. the Taoiseach, the Tanaiste and the rest of the Cabinet will meet the regional assembly of the Border, midlands and western (BMW) region in the refectory of St Nathy's College. The assembly consists of councillors from the 13-county region, nominated by the local authorities.
The Ministers are keen to be seen to consult the regional assembly, which will have a consultative role in relation to the operational programmes whereby EU structural funds will be spent in the region.
However, most of the £40 billion National Development Plan is controlled centrally by the Department of Finance. The operational programme for the BMW region is worth £2 billion, and the regional assembly's role in it is mainly advisory.
At 2.30 p.m. the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and a number of Ministers will meet the Western Development Commission before attending "consultation forums" involving councillors, State agency representatives, local authority officials and regional bodies.
These forums will discuss economic and social infrastructure; the productive sector including rural development; and human resources including social inclusion.
Mr Ahern, Ms Harney and the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy will give a press conference this evening before Mr Ahern travels to Sligo to meet Fianna Fail councillors.