Farmers fear Dublin to Galway greenway CPOs will split lands

Farmers along the proposed route of the Dublin to Galway greenway fear that their lands could be split by CPO without any right of objection.

And more than 200 of them from across East Galway gathered at a public meeting this week to berate members of Galway County Council for effectively supporting the practise.

The angry farmers turned up at the meeting in Ballinasloe earlier this week as several councillors were ‘brought to heel’ over their support of a CPO process.

They were backed by Galway East TD Colm Keaveney who this week called on Galway County Council to remove the threat from farmers of having their land purchased under a CPO in order to facilitate the greenway.

It is proposed that a walking and cycling greenway be brought through farmland from Ballinasloe to Galway city – which has created widespread angry and fear among the farming community.

But the land owners were further infuriated when it was learned that a majority of councillors voted in favour of CPOs being applied when acquiring the land for the cycle greenway.

There was a motion that in acquiring land for the Dublin to Galway greenway that no CPOs be used. This was actually defeated by twelve votes to eight.

This prompted County Galway IFA to hold a public meeting in Ballinasloe on Tuesday evening at which more than 200 attended. Several members of Galway County Council were also in attendance.

Many of the councillors defended their decision to vote against a motion calling for compulsory purchase orders not to be applied when acquiring land for the greenway.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.