The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is totally opposed to the use of Complusory Purchase Orders (CPOs) for greenway projects.

That was the message from IFA president Francie Gorman who was speaking at a Kerry IFA county executive meeting in Tralee last night (Tuesday, October 28).

He said that greenway projects should done with the agreement of farmers and local people.

The comments come as issues have arisen in several counties about the potential use of CPO for greenway projects.

Speaking to Agriland, Francie Gorman said that the IFA is "absolutely totally opposed to greenways being railroaded through anyone's land".

"Initially, when this came on it was to be on State-owned land, then it was to be on land where there was full agreement by farmers that a greenway would go through," he said.

When it comes to the CPO process, Gorman told the meeting that "it is the law of the land".

"The CPO process, there's very little we can do about that. There was a court case taken by four farmers here in Kerry, that was lost. So the CPO process is there if county councils or TII want to railroad a greenway through," he said.

Francie Gorman again pointed to comments from Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who recently told the Dáil that once a project enters the CPO process, “you are in trouble in terms of any greenway”.

CPO

Gorman said that there is an agreement around how farmers should be treated if greenways are going through land.

"It's got to be voluntary and it's got to be with the agreement of locals because anyway what's the point in having a greenway going through the countryside if the people living in it don't want it?

"All in all, if we could get agreement and consensus on it, we'd be in a much better place, but no way, no day should it be rammed through farmland," he said.

Gorman said that the Code of Best Practice for Greenways is due to be reviewed "in a year or two's time".

IFA South Leinster Regional chair Paul O'Brien also told Agriland that "the IFA has always been against the use of CPOs on greenways".

"The IFA are providing assistance to our members on a number of potential greenway developments around the country including meetings with county councils and consultants raising concerns from our members," he added.

Greenways

One farmer whose land is on the route of the South Kerry Greenway project told the meeting that he still has no agreement on accomodation works, compensation or a timeline for the works.

"I'm not opposed to the greenway, but the way we're being treated is totally unacceptable," he said.

The 27km greenway from Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen, being developed by Kerry County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), is currently under construction.

An Bord Pleanála gave the project the green light in November 2020, along with an accompanying CPO for the lands required.

Kerry IFA chair Jason Fleming appealed to Kerry County Council and TII to "sit down with farmers and talk to them".

Kerry County Council previously told Agriland that "the development on South Kerry Greenway is being undertaken in compliance with all relevant legislation and the code of practice for national and regional greenways".

The council added that it is "continuously engaging with landowners and their agents in relation to reaching agreement on accommodation works and compensation".

Last night's meeting also heard that the issue of greenways is due to be discussed before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport in the middle of November.