William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)

I only have one minute and I am sharing with Deputy Paula Butterly. I am not a member of this committee, but I have one thing to say to the witnesses from TII. Please take the CPO off the radar immediately because progress is being stopped by having it. I speak from my experience as a farmer and person who received a CPO on my land. The minute that letter came through the door, it was panic stations for me and everyone else who was associated with it. Getting a CPO is the worst single thing that can happen. It was done way back over 100 years ago and we all know the history of that. Please take it off the board at the moment. There is no need for it. TII will eventually get agreement with everyone who is associated because everyone wants greenways and walkways. They are a new thing in Ireland and they are working great. Please do not walk up to a farmer and tell him, "If you do not agree with me, I will serve a CPO on you". That does not work and it is not going to work. It gets the backs up of everybody on that greenway straight away. I am telling the TII that. Why do some of the greenways work straight away without any confusion? It is because there were no threats of CPOs. I will ask the TII one thing. Does it have to serve Bord na Móna with CPOs, or does it agree with it, given that it is State land? That is a quick question.