Kerry County Council Commit to Resolving Problems & Paying Farmers on the South Kerry Greenway

Kerry County Council has agreed to meet and fully engage with all landowners and their agents on the South Kerry Greenway in order to settle and pay compensation claims, and resolve outstanding accommodation works.

This was the clear commitment provided by the Chief Executive of Kerry County Council (KCC) Fearghal Reidy at an IFA meeting of landowners in the Foilmore Community Centre, Cahersiveen, Co Kerry this week.

Kerry IFA Chairman Jason Fleming welcomed the new positive approach to engagement from KCC, stating this commitment is major progress on the South Kerry Greenway.  

“We need to get the outstanding cases resolved quickly, get the accommodation works completed properly and get the farmers paid. It was a very positive move that the Chief Executive from the Council and his management agreed to attend the meeting and discuss the issues and problems on the Greenway directly with landowners.”

IFA Infrastructure Chair Paul O’Brien said it is a real step forward that the County Council recognise that they need to do better with the landowners on the Greenway.  It is very positive that they have put in place a team of case officers along with the resources and money to resolve the compensation cases and accommodation works.

He said the Kerry Greenway has been bedevilled with problems from a very early stage as the approach from KCC involving CPOs was wrong.  “The new approach from the Council is a real opportunity to move forward positively and for the Council to agree compensation and accommodation works with the landowners and restore some goodwill.”

At the meeting, Kerry Co Co also agreed to support the payment of the full Greenway Sustainability Payment to landowners on the route. Fearghal Reidy said the Council strongly supports the IFA case that the landowners should be paid the full Greenway Sustainability Payment.

Paul O’Brien called on the Council and local politicians to convince the Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien that landowners on the South Kerry Greenway cannot be shortchanged on this critically important payment.

Several speakers from the floor of the meeting raised their serious frustration in trying to deal with Kerry County Council. Issues outlined ranged from the Council refusing to engage or deal with some landowners and agents; poor communications; problems with accommodation works like fencing, gates, pens; lack of respect for the landowners; SACs and SPAs; the varying width of the greenway; and delays in payments.

The 27km long South Kerry Greenway runs from Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen and is estimated to cost €72m. It involves 139 landowners in total and only 39 of the landowners have been paid to date.

Public representatives from Kerry including TDs and local Councillors also attended the IFA meeting. All of the public representatives welcomed the new approach from Kerry Co Co and strongly supported the case made by the IFA on behalf of the landowners, especially on compensation payments, accommodation works and the Greenway Sustainability Payments.