Consultation and compensation may be required to ease farmers’ concerns about Greenway land acquisition
There are ambitious plans for an extensive network of off-road walking and cycling routes, known as Greenways, across the island of Ireland. Research has shown that Greenways can bring wide-ranging benefits to rural communities, providing peaceful routes for school-children, recreationalists and tourists alike. Successful Greenways have opened in Mayo, Waterford and elsewhere, generally using State-owned lands such as disused railways or canal towpaths. However, public land is not always available for greenways and land acquisition (usually agricultural) will be required to maintain off-road standards on priority routes.