Compulsory land acquisition compensation ‘inadequate’

SOME of the cost and time overruns on major road works have been blamed on inadequate compensation being offered for land acquired by the National Roads Authority (NRA) through compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).

Agricultural land prices have increased by almost 300% from €4,967 per hectare in 1993 to €16,261 per hectare in 2004, the latest figure available.

But Fine Gael’s agriculture spokesman Denis Naughten said the prices paid to farmers under a CPO had not increased at anything close to the same rate.