Compensation rather than rerouting would remain the focus of the IFA's dealings with the Department of the Environment on the building of new roads on farmland, Mr Tom Parlon, president of the Irish Farmers' Association, said at the weekend.
He admitted, however, that the question of farmers not wanting any road-building on their property was gathering momentum.
There were two issues regarding the construction of roadways under the National Development Plan, he said.
The first was fair compensation for land. There was also a wider debate involving farmers who did not want any road development on their land.
Mr Parlon said that the IFA did not want to become involved in that debate, because it could prove divisive among farmers. Instead, the association would remain focused on the price paid for land.
"We want to get a fair deal for our members. But we can't get involved in deciding where the roads go", Mr Parlon told reporters.
The IFA president said that negotiations with the Department on financial compensation for compulsory purchase orders by the NRA were "ongoing and intense". These negotiations had been interrupted in August, but were now in full swing. In reality, the issue was just one month old and it had run into real difficulty only recently.