Don’t miss Greenway deadline!

FARMERS and landowners along the five possible Greenway routes between Athlone and Galway city have been strongly advised to get in touch with the project office in Ballinasloe before Monday next, March 1 – the deadline for submissions.

Henry Walsh, Galway IFA Environment Rep, told the Farming Tribune, there was real concern that a cohort of farmers could miss out on the consultations because of the lack of face-to-face contacts because of the Covid situation.

“We are trying to get the consultation deadline extended because we know that there are certain farmers, possibly in the older age category, who are just not comfortable in situations where they are not discussing issues on a person-to-person basis,” Henry Walsh said.

However, he stressed two things – number one, that the IFA were by no means anti-Greenway and secondly that the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) had been very positive in engaging with them as regards a Code of Practice when engaging with landowners.

He said that while the CPO (compulsory purchase order) process was set down in law, the IFA under any circumstances did not want this used for the acquisition of Greenway land.

“Secondly we want no severance of farms and we want the route wherever possible to make use of state owned or controlled lands. But the basis of everything in this whole process must be a full and open consultation process with all landowners,” said Henry Walsh.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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