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CPOS BACK ON THE AGENDA AS GREENWAY CONSULTATION FAILS TO CONSIDER CONTENTIOUS ATHLONE TO GALWAY SECTION

Oct 26, 2017 | Press Releases | 0 comments

20 OCTOBER 2017

ICSA rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock has said that the threat of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) must be removed as a means of acquiring land for non-essential infrastructure projects. Mr Sherlock was speaking following the disclosure by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport that the public consultation on Greenway undertaken earlier this year does not apply to the contentious Athlone to Galway section or the Kerry and Connemara Greenways, leaving many farmers angered.

Commenting Mr Sherlock said, “We all support the formation of ‘Greenways’ and advancing rural Ireland through tourism but these projects must be delivered with farmer consultation and goodwill. Landowners along the proposed route thought their concerns were being listened to at long last with the consultation process but now we’re told that the consultation only applies to the Greenways of the far distant future. Unfortunately, this means the threat of CPOs looms large once again.”

“ICSA is very much in favour of new infrastructure, be they roads or Greenways, but not at any cost. We will stand firmly with our members who believe that they have been bullied by the threat of CPOs. We call for the immediate withdrawal of these threats so we can all sit down around the table and work out the best routes going forward.”

ENDS

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