'Farmers' concerns should be put at centre of Greenways development'
Farmers’ concerns should be put at the centre of any future development along the Dublin to Galway Greenway, IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Chairman Thomas Cooney has said.
Cooney has also called on the Department of Transport to rethink its approach to the development of the proposed greenway.
Cooney said that while greenways have an important role to play in promoting agri-tourism and economic activity in rural areas, the simple reality is that they will also have a significant impact on farming activity.
“All efforts must be made to engage with, listen to and address the concerns of farm families impacted.”
All options, including a more collaborative approach such as adopted successfully in the Walks Schemes should be considered.
“These schemes provide local employment and contribute to a significant level of economic activity in rural areas.”
In a submission to the Department of Transport, IFA identified a number of key measures that must be delivered to ensure that the rights of landowners impacted by this proposed Greenway are safeguarded.
Included in these measures are that landowners and IFA must be consulted in advance of route selection and publication of a defined route corridor.
IFA said that all efforts must be made to secure voluntary agreements with landowners and there should be no threat of the compulsory acquisition of land.
Further measures include:
