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Councillor dispels South Kerry Greenway rumours – ‘They are trying to scupper it’

On the right track..At the official starting point of the South Kerry Greenway at Glenbeigh, Cathaoirleach of the Kenmare Municipal District, Cllr Michael Cahill, met with Sean O’Sullivan from the Capital Infrastructure Unit met with the Members of the Kenmare Municipal District to discuss progress on the South Kerry Greenway, from left, Cllr Norma Moriarty, Kevin Griffin, Landowner, Cllr John Francis Flynn, Sean O'Sullivan and Brian Sugrue, Landower. Photo: Valerie O'Sullivan.

Sinead KelleherKerryman

It is set to be one of the biggest projects ever in South Kerry, one that could transform the economic future of the region, but since it was first mooted, it has been beset by problems.

In the midst of work now progressing on the development of the 27km South Kerry Greenway, local councillor Michael Cahill (Fianna Fáil) has strongly criticised rumours in the locality that farmers will face delays in being paid for their land.

Kerry County Council and Councillor Cahill have moved to dispel rumours circulating that landowners affected by the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) along the route of the South Kerry Greenway will face inordinate delays to payment.

"I have been contacted by landowners in Glenbeigh and Cahersiveen who have been recently informed that it will take at least 10 years before they receive any payments, and this is simply just not true,” he said.

“It is important to nip this in the bud, payments will be made in the normal way once contracts have been signed and no restrictions exist on the title. At that stage, payments will follow within a couple of months. If any landowner has any queries in this regard, they can contact the Project Team at Kerry County Council directly or, alternatively, give me the details and I will follow it up on their behalf,” said Councillor Cahill.

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“Drawing up of contracts is at an advanced stage for many landowners and they should issue shortly, some in fact will issue within the week, bringing us to another milestone in the South Kerry Greenway project. The investment that followed the Greenways in Mayo and Waterford has already transformed both places and the vast majority of people in Kerry understand that and cannot wait for its completion.

“We have come a long way since this was first proposed, and we can not allow a handful of people who wish to block or delay any further what will be county Kerry's biggest and best ever tourism project.”

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