New efforts to solve impasse over greenway

Separate meetings are to take place to discuss the controversial walking and cycling greenway that will run through east Galway.

The farming community in the area are totally opposed to the greenway as they fear that it will divide holdings.

However, it was hoped that there would be one meeting at which all of the stakeholders would be invited.

It now appears that there will be two meetings over the coming month which is not going down well with land owners along the proposed route.

Tourism Minister Paschal Donohue will meet with the National Roads Authority and Galway County Council to try and draw up a plan that would be acceptable to the land owners concerned.

He will then meet with farming representatives who have already expressed their concerns over cycle paths being acquired by compulsory purchase orders.

But Galway East TD Paul Connaughton said that it would be more practical to have a meeting with all of the stakeholders around the one table.

He said that he welcomed the fact that the Minister was meeting with those involved in the greenway project but believed that it should be one meeting with everyone involved in the controversy.

The meetings are due to take place on Tuesday next but now the Minister is being urged to hold just one meeting with everyone involved.

“I very much welcome the fact that the Minister is to meet with the IFA and other farmers who have huge concerns about the greenway, in Dublin on May 12.

“However, I am disappointed that this engagement will be in two meetings, the first of which will involve the Minister, the NRA and Galway County Council and the second meeting between the Minister and the farming representatives.

“I would prefer to have one meeting where everyone could lay out their concerns on the table and try to come to a solution.

“It appears that such a meeting was never an option but I believe that for the Minister to fully understand the concerns that are out there the relevant state authorities must hear from the farming community,” Deputy Connaughton added.

Last year plans were unveiled for an off-road cycle greenway between Dublin and Galway with towns and villages such as Ballinasloe, Aughrim, Kilrickle, Loughrea, Craughwell, Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge and Oranmore being part of the route.

But according to Deputy Connaughton, the matter now has to go back to the drawing board and a new consultation process established.

What has really infuriated the land owners is that the line on the map shows the greenway going through actual houses and front gardens. There are no proposals to remove houses to accommodate the greenway.