Fine Gael criticises Government for road works delay

Fine Gael has blamed some of the expense and delay on major road works on inadequate compensation being offered for land acquired by the National Roads Authority (NRA) through compulsory purchase orders (CPOs).

At the moment the NRA is building five new motorways connecting Dublin to Cork, Galway, the Border, Limerick and Waterford along with major upgrades on other national roads.
Agricultural land prices have increased significantly since the early 1990s.
Fine Gael’s agriculture spokesman Denis Naughton has said that the prices paid to farmers under a CPO did not increase at the same rate.

“While the new motorways were due to be completed by 2006, it will now take at least three more years and cost an additional E6 billion to complete on top of the current cost of E14bn,” he said.
“These overruns, both in time and cost can be attributed to the NRA offering inadequate compensation to land owners and then later making improved offers in a scrooge-like manner.”

At the moment the Government is overseeing farmers’ compensation payments being taxed at a rate of 20% due to the withdrawal of rollover relief. Mr Naughton said that this will mean that farmers who want to replace lands lost due to the CPO will lose one-fifth of their buying power.