Danny Healy-Rae Opposes CPO for South Kerry Greenway
Danny Healy-Rae spoke about the South Kerry Greenway, opposing the use of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and arguing that landowners must have the final say. He criticised the CPO process, raised concerns about the role of the TII and described gardaí being used to threaten farmers in Cahillac.
Danny Healy-Rae recalled voting against the CPO as a councillor in 2014–2015 alongside Johnny Healy Ray and others. He said the CPO is a "very crude instrument" that, once in place, discourages engagement with landowners.
He insisted that when a person owns land, "he should have the last say in it," and argued greenways must proceed only with the agreement of landowners. He acknowledged the benefits of greenways for walkers and tourism but stressed consent is essential.
He described situations in Cahillac where gardaí have been used to threaten farmers who, he said, had not contravened the law. He characterised the use of enforcement and court orders against these landowners as hurtful and unjust.
He urged a review of the system so greenways are delivered by agreement, not by compulsion, and appealed to the Taoiseach to act on the matter. He argued that alternative arrangements must be developed to respect landowners while delivering projects.
Opposition to CPO
Danny Healy-Rae recalled voting against the CPO as a councillor in 2014–2015 alongside Johnny Healy Ray and others. He said the CPO is a "very crude instrument" that, once in place, discourages engagement with landowners.
Landowner rights
He insisted that when a person owns land, "he should have the last say in it," and argued greenways must proceed only with the agreement of landowners. He acknowledged the benefits of greenways for walkers and tourism but stressed consent is essential.
Concerns about enforcement in Cahillac
He described situations in Cahillac where gardaí have been used to threaten farmers who, he said, had not contravened the law. He characterised the use of enforcement and court orders against these landowners as hurtful and unjust.
Calls for agreement and review
He urged a review of the system so greenways are delivered by agreement, not by compulsion, and appealed to the Taoiseach to act on the matter. He argued that alternative arrangements must be developed to respect landowners while delivering projects.
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Transcript
Thank you very much, Cahillac. I'm glad to get the opportunity first to welcome all the witnesses here and all the concerned people behind my back. As is well known, we have the South Kerry Greenway. It's under progress. It has been for three or four years now. And going back to 2014 and 2015, I was a councillor at that time, and there was a vote about the CEO, the CPO in Kerry County Council. Well, at the end of 2014 and early 2015, what myself and Johnny Healy Ray and a few others voted against the CPO. While we're far, the Greenway, we're against the notion of a CPO, because you have to recognise that a person, if he owns his land, he owns his land, and he should have the last say in it. And these greenways are fine, and they're grand for the people that want to walk and to get out and open air. But you must have the agreement of the landowners, and that's what I believe in. And I think the TII have enough to do with roadways rather than our national roads are in a desperate state. Killarney is clogged, for instance. But anyway, at the end of 2014, we begged the local authority to send down the people. There was only six or seven people not agreeing at that time. And before Christmas, at the Christmas meeting, we asked very hard that they go down and talk to them and get agreement. That didn't happen. And now I know why it didn't happen, because as I understand it now, the CPO is a very crude instrument. Because when the CPO is in place, and when the people go in working, when the people in charge, they don't have to talk to a landowner, they won't talk to a landowner. And as I know, just answer me one question, Morgan. Are you paid for rural land where they went through? No, no. And it's tarot back to the land. A moment. Can you imagine that someone tarot a patent side in Newland? Are you paid for rural land where they went through? No, no. And it's tarot back to the land. A moment. Can you imagine that someone tarot a patent side in Newland and they weren't paid for it? I mean, that's wrong. And from what I know, when something is wrong, it can't be right. Look, we're for the greenware. A lot of people in South Kerry are looking for the greenware. It has been towners on its knees, and a lot of other tourist industries along the way are on their knees. But some other way will have to be done. This will have to be done by agreement. And, you see, when a person owns their land, like, I'll just give you an example of what's happening in Cahillac. At the present time, the guards are being used to keep, to threaten, to threaten individual farmers. These are people that a guard can never went into their yard. They never contravened the law in any way in the world. And to imagine now, at the end of the day, some of them, that this is what's happening, that the guard is going in and the judge has made an order, and the guards are already doing their duty. That's their job. But it's hurtful when I hear that these people have never crossed the law or crossed the line. And I'm saying to you here loud and clear, Cahillac, some other system by agreement will have to be developed to talk to the landlords because they own the land in the first place. They've fought hard to keep it at one time and maybe struggled to keep it. And in many cases, people are still paying back for some of what they wanted. So that system will have to be reviewed and looked at. Teacher, Michal Martin, said that something would have to be done. So we're appealing to him as well now to get out there and set it out. Thank you very much.