IFA raises issue of ‘sterilising’ farm land for unfunded road projects

FARMERS in Co Wexford have been outraged by a proposal to stop any building on lands designated for the route of the proposed N11/N25 road from Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour — even though the National Roads Authority, Department of Transport and Wexford County Council have no budget to buy the land or build the road, according to the IFA.

IFA president John Bryan raised the issue this week with Transport Minister Leo Varadkar, saying the Government should immediately end the practice of announcing a new route for a motorway but providing no indication of the timeframe for building the road.

“During this time of economic constraint, when the roads capital budget is being reviewed, it is no longer acceptable a route for a new road is announced and lands sterilised, preventing farmers and their families from building a dwelling house or farm buildings and providing no indication of when the land may be acquired or the road built,” said Mr Bryan.

The IFA delegation also asked the minister to review procedures which have restricted farmers’ entitlements to tow trailers and to repair regional and local roads damaged by severe weather conditions.

Separately, Mr Varadkar confirmed that the national recovery plan published by Government in November 2010 envisaged that road network investment would be significantly reduced and scope for proceeding with significant projects is very limited. The 2012-16 National Development Plan is due out in September.

Mr Varadkar said: “We have to learn from the past. A significant proportion of the high cost of the roads built can be attributed to the payments made to land owners and the arrangement reached with the Irish Farmers’ Association on land costs.

“It is fair to say that arrangement would not be made now. They got a very good deal. The files confirm the political pressure that a deal needed to be cut with the landowners,” he added.