A third blockade has been put in place on the new M11 motorway near Enniscorthy, as farmers in Co. Wexford up the ante on protests at the ongoing works.
The first blockade was put in place on Monday, October 22, near Camolin, Co. Wexford. A second roadblock was put in Oulard near a batching plant for the road yesterday, October 23, and the third one was put in place at 12:00pm today.
The road is being blocked with a range of farm machinery, including: a slurry tank; two grain trailers; a loader; and a straw chopper.
Speaking to AgriLand, Wexford Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA’s) recently appointed Roads Committee chairman, John Murphy, explained that farmers are blocking the new road, as they are frustrated with the contractors who are building the road (BAM Construction) over a number of issues.
“Farmers want the deals that had been agreed initially to be carried out as originally planned.”
He outlined that they also want the works to be done to an acceptable standard in an agreed time-frame and in a manner that will not have implications on their remaining land.
He also highlighted that farmers are frustrated as the road construction company is “making no effort whatsoever to cooperate with farmers”.
Farmers are annoyed because we are being told that we can’t use our land in the manner we would normally be using it.
Murphy said that, to date, requests to meet with BAM Construction have received no response.
“Our daily routine now involves working around where the road workers are – and that’s not going to happen any more,” he concluded.