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Farmers could find it harder to resist a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on their land if a new Bill proposed by Minister Heather Humphreys becomes law.
Draft legislation called the Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill 2018 would give greater powers to the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to forcibly acquire land for new industrial projects.
It has been drawn up by the Minister’s Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation to try to ensure there is no repeat of a 2015 case in which Co Kildare farmer Thomas Reid successfully challenged a CPO by the IDA on his farm.
The authority wanted to purchase his land, which adjoins the huge operation of computer chip manufacturer Intel at Leixlip. But the farmer won an appeal in the Supreme Court and continues to own and farm his land.
Under the proposed new legislation, An Bord Pleanála would act as an independent adjudicator; the IDA could use CPOs only for land required for immediate use and for specific projects and it could only lease such land to an industrial user, not sell it.
The bill must now be debated and voted on by the Dáil and Seanad.
IFA environment chair Thomas Cooney said he would review the new bill and make a submission on it.
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