The Irish Farmers Association, which is preventing road building by banning National Roads Authority staff from farms, has called for an "unbiased" agency to take over land acquisition functions from the NRA, writes Sean Mac Connell.
The call came from the IFA's national industrial committee chairman, Mr Francis Fanning, who said such a body would create a new approach to the problem.
"The National Roads Authority's persistent meddling and inflammatory statements is frustrating sincere efforts by the IFA to negotiate an agreement," he said.
"A new approach which will not rely on the threat of outdated and archaic compulsory acquisition powers and properly recognises the impacts on farmers and their contribution to the national road programme, is overdue," he added.