Greenways Provision
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-14
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Eileen Lynch (FG), Agricultural Panel

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I note what he said. It is disappointing, in that the points that have been laid out are largely based on consultation. If that was always actively adhered to, it may have more of an effect.
In terms of the consultation the Minister of State outlined, where is it being monitored or checked in terms of local authorities and TII to ensure that it is actually happening? I appreciate he provided the example of Clifden where, despite arbitration, a resolution could not be reached. In many greenways across the country, consultation is not taking place. Boxes are being ticked and the extensive consultation to which the Minister of State referred is simply not happening. This is leading to massive uncertainty for landowners.
The farmers I met in Waterfall in Cork do not know what is going to happen in a process that has been ongoing since last year. They are not getting adequate consultation. They have been told there will be CPOs, but other than that they know very little about the process. The lack of certainty is incredibly damaging for those concerned and their businesses. It is also damaging for the process, which is allegedly based on consultation. People have lost all trust in the process. Where is the process being monitored? What safeguards are in place? It is fine to say that a CPO is a last resort but at the end of the day, it is compulsory. It would appear that the negotiations prior to that are not always adhered to in a clear and transparent manner.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-14/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:57+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-14