As the Irish Meteorological Service confirmed last night there was "not a hint" of a pick-up in the weather, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, moved to help farmers cope with the build-up of slurry on their lands.
Constant rain since May and the rehousing of animals has meant that many slurry tanks cannot take any more material.
However, the rules applying to the Rural Environment Protection Scheme specify that half the slurry must be spread by July 1st.
The Minister announced yesterday a temporary measure for the 30,000 farmers in the scheme, recognising that the wet weather had prevented some of them spreading slurry on the land.
He agreed to extend the deadline for spreading half of the slurry to August 1st when he would review the situation. Farmers entering the scheme for the first time this year have until the end of August to spread all the slurry produced in winter.
But the Labour Party spokesman on agriculture, Mr Jack Wall, described Mr Walsh as "crass and insensitive" for rejecting demands by the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association for compensation.
"In recent weeks the agriculture industry has been very badly hit by appalling weather conditions. The month of May was the wettest on record, and June was not much better. Only 10 per cent of the silage crop has been harvested and as long as this wet weather continues this amount will hardly increase," he went on.
"Many farmers have been unable to graze their animals and as a result have had to house them and pay for feed, which is extremely unusual for this time of year."
A Met Service spokesman said rain was likely to continue.
North West Radio broadcast a Mass for fine weather to an audience of 20,000 yesterday. Father Brendan Hoban celebrated the Mass live on Paul Claffey's show. Mr Claffey said the Mass was a response to public concern. So concerned had listeners become that one woman, Mrs Muriel Kerr of Kinlough, started to send in a prayer for fine weather every day. The daily prayer gathered such momentum that Mr Claffey decided to host a Mass. He noted there were a few blue spots in the sky above the studio after the Mass, but said even if it continued to bucket down his faith wouldn't be affected.