Mayo head of rural group condemns greenways plan as 'an insult'
The Mayo-based chairperson of the Rural Ireland Organisation (RIO) has described the government’s new plan for the acquisition of farmers lands for greenways "a cheap stunt and disrespectful to rural Ireland and rural communities.”
Gerry Loftus said the proposal offers a once off payment to farmers to hand over a right of way through their land that will remain a burden on their land for ever more.
The plan forms part of the government's 'Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways'.
Mr. Loftus described the proposed one off payments in the new code of best practice for national and regional greenways as a blatant insult to landowners.
He advised any farmers who want to know about the proposed payment bands to contact him directly.
He stated: “Greenways can also be a big problem for farmers in terms of people not keeping dogs on leads and allowing livestock to be worried, or when people coming off greenways very often walk onto private property putting the land owner at risk of an insurance claim in the event of an accident.
“The Rural Ireland Organisation believes that greenways in remote areas can be a recipe for disaster if serious provisions aren’t put in place to deal with them. We want proper consultation with people living in rural Ireland about any proposed greenways.
“Poorly designed greenways can provide the ideal scenario for robberies as targets can be identified in daylight hours. They can then travel the greenway at night by motorcycle or push bike and then disappear into the back of an awaiting van on the main road.
“We already know criminals in many parts of the country commit robberies close to motorways or main roads so that they can then use the motorway or main road to make their getaway.
“RIO also believes if this proposal is adopted by landowners then it is only a matter of time until Compulsory Purchase Orders will be applied to build walkways across farmland to access mountains, lakes, beauty spots. A farmer fighting CPO alone is easy prey.”
Outlining a number of measures needed, Mr. Loftus said RIO will support greenways by permissive access only.
“They must be in the right place under the right management. Greenways must run close to main roads, every effort must be made to inconvenience the landowner as little as possible.
"The land owner must have the right to determine exactly where the greenway runs through the property and must be compensated for allowing permissive access through their land in the form of an index linked annual payment.”
“Greenways must have a patrol officer on the greenway at all times to insure people using the greenway complies with the rules at all times.”
Mr. Loftus also questioned the wisdom of constructing greenways to replace railway lines at a time when Ireland should be trying to transform its transport system to electric rail to reduce emissions.