The compulsory purchase of land to facilitate a greenway stretching the length of County Galway will be resisted outright by a farmers’ representative group.
The Galway branch of Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association has urged rural communities to ‘fight back’ against attempts to CPO land from Clifden to Ballinasloe for a greenway.
Galway ICSA said it categorically opposes the compulsory acquisition of farmers’ land and private property to facilitate a walking and cycling recreational route.
In January, Galway ICSA and Galway Cycling Solutions, representing homeowners, businesses and cyclists, met with Transport, Sport and Tourism Minister Shane Ross.
They were assured by Minister Ross that no work on delivering the National Cycle Network (NCN) would proceed until a comprehensive consultation process involving all parties had taken place, and a new policy put in place.
Galway ICSA engaged in a public consultation this Summer, and it, along with other lobby groups, encouraged up to 10,000 people to make submissions supporting the view that CPOs should not be used to acquire land for reaction.
This week, in a statement, Galway ICSA said Minister Ross has reneged on a commitment made in January.
“Contrary to the impression given to us by the Minister, his department is now claiming that the consultation process we entered into during the summer had nothing to do with the proposed greenways in Galway and Kerry. They say that the consultation will only be considered for future projects,” said Adrian Kelly of Galway ICSA.
“The Department of Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have moved the goalposts again. This is nothing short of a manifest attempt to deliver the Galway and Kerry routes over the heads of rural communities.
“It would appear that the beneficial National Cycle Network project has been hijacked by elected representatives and faceless bureaucrats with the desired goal of delivering ‘Right to Roam’ legalisation into this country. To achieve this, they are attempting to dilute private property rights by setting the precedent of using the CPO process to forcefully acquire this property for recreational purposes.
“It is now time for rural communities to fight back. ICSA is the only organisation that has categorically stated its opposition to the use of CPO to forcefully acquire working farmland and private property for recreational purposes,” Mr Kelly added.
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