Michael Collins demands end to CPOs for greenways
Michael Collins confronts officials over the use of compulsory purchase orders for greenways and the exclusion of hill farmers from review talks. He raises urgent questions about payments to landowners, council purchases of houses and the mental-health and community impacts of forced land acquisition.
Michael Collins highlights that the Irish Nature and Hill Farmers Association have had no communication about joining the official review group, despite promises they would. He insists the association must be fully engaged in any review of greenway delivery and CPO use.
Collins argues the CPO process is being driven from the top and used to impose greenways on ordinary landowners. He says CPOs for leisure amenities have caused family crises, mental-health issues and severed farms, and he rejects CPOs as a legitimate route for greenway delivery.
The deputy questions delays in payments to South Kerry landowners and points to a reported Cork County Council purchase of two houses for in excess of €1.1 million while other greenway claims remain unresolved. He stresses the need for clearer consultation and for greenways to be routed on public lands where possible.
Collins presses the IFA and local authorities on how they will hold councils to the Greenway Code of Practice and how they will lobby government to change legislation so compulsory purchase orders are not used for leisure amenities. He calls for rectifying invitations and ensuring landowners have a seat at the table.
Exclusion of hill farmers
Michael Collins highlights that the Irish Nature and Hill Farmers Association have had no communication about joining the official review group, despite promises they would. He insists the association must be fully engaged in any review of greenway delivery and CPO use.
Concerns about CPOs and community harm
Collins argues the CPO process is being driven from the top and used to impose greenways on ordinary landowners. He says CPOs for leisure amenities have caused family crises, mental-health issues and severed farms, and he rejects CPOs as a legitimate route for greenway delivery.
Local cases: Kerry and Cork
The deputy questions delays in payments to South Kerry landowners and points to a reported Cork County Council purchase of two houses for in excess of €1.1 million while other greenway claims remain unresolved. He stresses the need for clearer consultation and for greenways to be routed on public lands where possible.
Accountability and next steps
Collins presses the IFA and local authorities on how they will hold councils to the Greenway Code of Practice and how they will lobby government to change legislation so compulsory purchase orders are not used for leisure amenities. He calls for rectifying invitations and ensuring landowners have a seat at the table.
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Transcript
So I'll go straight into it because I have a lot of questions. I come from a land where walks are extremely important. We have the Sheepshead Way, James O'Maney was a huge influence in putting that together, and the Bear Way, where Jim O'Sullivan and Barry Burton, you spoke a little bit ago, and each of those people, there was never a CPO, and there was a bit of disagreement, but they got around it. They were able to work there, but not the CPO, the axe was never held over anybody's head. So, and I did ask the powers that be here previously, at a previous committee, did they ever sit down and talk with these guys? No. So it looks like, I hate to say it, but the collar and tie pincher pushers are pushing this, and it's driven from the top, and to take out the ordinary person on the ground. And I will never agree where a CPO is put in place for an immunity, and no one should agree with that, if they have any understanding, because this has led to mental health issues, massive crisis in families, farms being cut in two, whatever. So look, I'm getting straight into the question, just one simple question, with the Irish Hill Farmers, you were supposed to be on the review group, have you been allowed, have you been asked to sit in that group? Sorry to date, we've had no communication whatsoever, and I think it's something that we have actually raised at an earlier stage, and I think it's something that absolutely needs to be put in place now, that the Irish Nature and Hill Farmers Association are fully engaged in this, because from the very outset, I appreciate that. My time is very, very tight, my time is very tight. Look, I appreciate that, you haven't been invited, we were told you would be invited at a different committee, so that must be rectified going forward. Just in relation to the IFA, how does the IFA intend to hold, we'll say, local councils accountable to comply with the Greenway Code of Practice? And given that the IFA's clear stance against the use of CPO for greenways, how does it plan to lobby government to amend legislation so that compulsory purchase orders are no longer used for leisure amenities? 30 seconds to reply, if you're good, please. Okay, well look, Deputy, you know, we've went into the negotiations on the Code of Best Practice in review of what was happening in places like Kerry Greenway and also the Galloway to Aflone Greenway, where there was massive, I suppose, farmer opposition and, I suppose, concern. But it's our job in IFA, I suppose, to lobby the people like yourselves to highlight where there is a flaw, we believe, in the system. The system is very clear, legal powers are given by the officers to the courts in order to enact legislation which allows the CPO process to happen. What we were looking for is very much all of these developments, greenways, to be built on public lands. To build on lands where there's no confusion, there's no title argument. One question, because I was confused with the previous committee setting. Are you saying to me that the IFA are 100% against any walkways going through CPO on individuals? Are you only 50% or 100%? Are you with the farm or not? Walkways are different from greenways, Deputy, in all fairness. Walkways are greenways. It's their CPO. If they're CPO, then they become a greenway. Are you 100% against them? Would you give me an answer, yes or no? Are you 100% against them if they're CPO'd? Yes or no? We are against CPO process. We're 100% against CPO process for delivering of greenways. Thank you very much, appreciate it. Clina, Tom and Morgan. I'm sorry you're together there. I might throw out the questions and see if you can squeeze a few answers out of them. I've only got a minute and 39 seconds. Just in relation to Tom, you might answer me. How are you getting on, Clare? But hold tough on the answer for a second. Morgan, where are you yet in Kerry? Because it's hugely important. We had a lot of discussions on that. I just want to say this to you, that you've had a problem to get your money. I'm looking here at a greenways, to get the Kerry Greenways completed and are still waiting for payments. It's been alleged Cork County Council are purchasing two houses near the old railway tunnel on the Cork and Sale Greenway route for over 1 million euros. And if you're looking for money and they are buying houses, even though proper consultation has been finalised there yet, how do you feel about that? And just, Clina, I know it's very very tight and parents you're very good at keeping us well aware of what's going on. Is the state genuinely exhausting public and land force? What is the single biggest problem for landowners and has a cost basis analysis about the land being taken, has been taken into consideration? So I know Thomas, Morgan, Clina. I'm currently presently in negotiations with Clare County Council. It's seven years ago since I was first approached about a greenway and the one thing I said to them from day one was, we're going absolutely nowhere without the goodwill of the people that own the land. And if we don't have that, you have absolutely nothing, CPO or no CPO. That's when I first signed on. We've had good communication with the council since and we're in the process now of getting the final drawings and letters out. There are 70 landowners, homeowners between Kilrush and Kilkee and today they have 67 agreements. So that's how it is processed along, through the Code of Practice. As regards the South Kerry Greenway, we were issued with the CPO in 2022. Construction started in 2023 but there are 138 landowners and recently it came out from Kerry County Council that 16 don't have any claims in. So there's 122 with claims in and of those 54 have agreed but of those 54 only 34 are paid. Now regarding the houses that have been purchased in Cork, that's alarming to me really because they're moving on, the council and TIR are moving on to a new greenway when they're not even dealing properly with the landowners in South Kerry. And to take two houses out of circulation and we all know the housing problems we have at the moment. Cork County Council are paying in excess of £1.1 million for the two houses there at Gorgons Hill.