Kerry farmers on route of proposed greenway call on council to honour agreements on compensation

The IFA had objected to the greenway, partly because the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) contravened an undertaking in 2011 to farmers they would not be imposed. File picture: Don MacMonagle

Farmers on lands crossed by the South Kerry Greenway are calling on Kerry County Council to honour agreements on compensation.

At a meeting near Caherciveen, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) heard of anger among farmers about the length of time the greenway works were taking, the way the work was being carried out, and a lack of assurances about compensation.

The IFA had objected to the greenway, partly because the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) contravened an undertaking in 2011 to farmers they would not be imposed.

The greenway finally got the official planning go-ahead in 2022, coming after the Supreme Court rejected two applications to appeal a decision of the High Court.

Objectors claimed planning permission contravened EU directives on environmental impact assessment and habitats, adding not enough was done to protect the Kerry slug and lesser horseshoe bat.

However, IFA Kerry chair Jason Fleming said, broadly speaking, people wanted the greenway to be built.

“Nobody is opposed to it, but it is the way the council is going about it that is the issue,” he said.

Mr Fleming said the IFA was to request a face-to-face meeting with the council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, which has so far provided €15.9m in funding.

“We want agreements honoured around the necessary works that need to be carried out, like the reinstatement of boundary walls, and which the council agreed would be done with the approval of landowners,” he said.

“We want our members to be compensated and we want to know when the greenway is actually going to be finished.”

Minister of state Michael Healy-Rae, who attended the two-hour meeting, said: “There are issues that need to be sorted by the local authority, but I believe that, through negotiation, they can be sorted. Kerry needs the greenway. It is a lifeline to the community.”