Farmers say no to forced sale of land

FARMERS in South Kerry are calling on Kerry County Council to hire an agronomist to help negotiate between landowners and the local authority instead of moving ahead with a CPO for land for the South Kerry Greenway.

In what farmers describe as a “last ditch attempt” to ease relations between both parties, a meeting took place this week with the IFA and local farmers to appeal to the council to work with them rather than against them. It is feared that local farmers may take legal action if the council presses ahead with their plans for the land.

The South Kerry Greenway is a major tourism project which could be worth an estimated €5m to the region.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) met with up to 50 farmers in Glenbeigh and Cahersiveen on Monday. Their meeting follows a pre-planning meeting for the project which took place last week with An Bord Pleanála and this will lead to a planning application. Kerry County Council believes a CPO is the only way forward.

The IFA says farmers are not against the project but want to find solutions for both sides. Kerry IFA County Chairman Pat O’Driscoll has called on the Council to “pull back from the brink’ and not to compulsorily acquire private farmland.

Local farmer, Morgan Lyne, says the council is not listening to farmers’ concerns.

“We are not opposed to the greenway, it is very good project but it must be delivered with the goodwill of landowners” he said, adding that a compromise could be reached if the council changed its attitude.