IFA: Eamon Ryan's comments around CPO of lands for national parks are 'delusional'
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Farmers have strongly reacted to "inflammatory" and "delusional" remarks by Eamon Ryan who has not ruled out the compulsory purchase of lands for national parks.
The Green Party leader said he wants the State to begin buying up significant tracts of land that adjoin areas such as Killarney National Park.
In an interview with the , Mr Ryan said: "I think there are areas where we can start extending our national parks and creating really special areas. I think we will put money into that, we need to."
However, the IFA said "every possible avenue" will be used to stop such a move.
IFA president Tim Cullinan said: "It is bad enough that Eamon Ryan wants to use State funds to encourage the rewilding of land to take it out of production, but now he wants use the powers of the State to confiscate land from private citizens."
Mr Ryan said he would not be against the compulsory purchase order (CPO) of land.
However, he said he doesn't want to "scare" farmers and other landowners and any measures would have to work in a way that people have a sense of pride in being part of.
"I am discussing this with my colleagues, and I think we will start to see planning for much, much more ambitious plans around particularly the likes of national parks.
He added: "We are selling ourselves as a green country, we have to be green, in reality, if we want to do that."
However, Mr Cullinan said any use of CPOs would be an abuse of power and highly questionable from a legal perspective.
"I want to make it clear that IFA will use every possible avenue to stop such a move.
"Just because Eamon Ryan is a Government minister doesn’t mean he ‘owns the country’.
"We have a constitution, and every citizen has rights that cannot just be taken away by Eamon Ryan or any other citizen."