Dundalk Bay to Carlingford Greenway dispute deepens as councillors seek answers from TII

Dundalk Municipal District has voted to send a request for clarification to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and have also requested a meeting with senior government figures regarding the proposed Dundalk Bay–Carlingford Greenway, following a lengthy and sometimes tense debate at its December meeting.

The amended motion passed only after Cathaoirleach Cllr Robert Nash (FG) exercised his casting vote, bringing a close to a sitting that saw councillors adjourn for twenty minutes in an attempt to agree amended wording.

The original motion, brought jointly by Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Andrea McKevitt and Fine Gael’s Cllr John Reilly, sought to pause the Greenway project pending both the review of the County Development Plan and TII’s national review of the Code of Best Practice for Greenways.

In a written response to councillors, David Jones, Director of Services for Major Capital Projects, stated: “The project is being developed in accordance with TII's Code of Best Practice for Greenways, inclusive of public consultation, landowner engagement and land acquisition, TII's funding approval process, and within the overarching context of the Council's County Development Plan 2021-2027. 

“The Council will continue to progress the planning and design of the project under the existing applicable policy and guideline frameworks that are currently in place.”

Sinn Féin’s Cllr Antoin Watters put forward an alternative amendment seeking to withdraw the original motion until additional clarification was obtained. His proposal was defeated after the Cathaoirleach exercised his casting vote.

Introducing the motion, Cllr McKevitt said residents of the Cooley Peninsula were experiencing “hurt, fear, anxiety, frustration” as a result of emerging preferred routes and letters to landowners.

She warned of land-take concerns, asking councillors:

“Would you like eight metres width of your garden taken or your farm or your business? To this end, I am asking you to think about how you would feel if you got a letter threatening CPO on your home, your garden, your business, your farmland. I expect you would feel scared, frustrated and angry, worried about the future, concerned about your privacy.”

Councillor McKevitt argued that pausing the project until TII’s review was completed was “the sensible approach.”

Supporting the motion, Fine Gael’s Cllr Reilly spoke about the impact on farmers and frustration with councillors not having more of a say:

“I'm from farming stock myself, and I know that the feeling I'm getting on the ground is immense. There's so much, I suppose, resentment, and one of the other fundamental things that I'm getting and as a local representative of the county council, is that people are saying, ‘can you bring this to a conclusion? I don't want this.’

“And there's something wrong in our democratic system that we are the councilors, and our proper title, if you know our proper title, believe it or not, when you look into it, is Office Holders of the County [we are] guardians of the county and have we no say in this Greenway, because the system here seems to be stripping us of any input vote.” 

Sinn Féin’s Cllr Antoin Watters said the public were waiting anxiously for clarity, saying: 

“I think we need to go further on this. We're saying we'll write to them. We're going to wait for months, and we'll not get a reply. I've asked them to meet a delegation. 

“We are all elected to represent the people here. We should be going to meet them and highlighting our concerns and not letting it go on any longer, because all we're doing here now is going to push it down the line further, and we're still going to have no clarity on it.”

Green Party Cllr Marianne Butler opposed the motion, stating plainly, “I don’t support the motion… and I hope my point of view can be respected.” She stressed that councillors must be realistic about what they can and cannot do.

She also expressed strong personal support for Greenways, saying, “I love greenways. I want this Greenway to work. I think they’re fantastic.” She argued that a Greenway could help address traffic and safety issues in the peninsula and provide accessibility for families, people with disabilities, and young people seeking independence.

She called for leadership and suggested a study visit to a successful project, saying councillors should “organise a visit… and ask them what the issues have been with that particular development.”

Independent Cllr Maeve Yore did not support the motion, arguing that Louth County Council and elected members have no legal power to pause a TII-funded Greenway project. She stressed that the motion would have “no power or effect”, since the project must continue under existing national legislation, the Code of Best Practice, and the current County Development Plan. She also highlighted that CPOs are always a last resort, but that councillors cannot override national policy.

Independent Cllr Ciaran Fisher also opposed the motion, saying that it would give landowners false hope because councillors cannot ultimately prevent CPOs. He noted the project is only three stages into a ten-stage process, and pausing it would mislead people into thinking the council can stop it, which he argued it cannot. While he said he wants the Greenway to succeed, he said he believes the review will not remove CPO powers and that pausing the process offers only “a mirage in the desert.”

Fianna Fáil Cllr Sean Kelly  supported the motion and the amendment, emphasising the fear, anxiety, and confusion felt by residents in the peninsula. He said the differing approaches taken by local authorities elsewhere show that the Code of Practice is being interpreted inconsistently, which increases uncertainty. He argued the council needs clarity from TII and Government ministers, and that elected members must work together, free of party politics, to represent worried landowners.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Shane McGuinness supported the motion, stressing that land acquisition for an amenity project must be voluntary, as agreed in the original Code of Practice discussions between TII and the IFA. He questioned why the proposed route runs largely along roads rather than the coastline, and argued that the project should be paused until the Code of Practice review is completed. He also noted that other parts of Louth lack Greenways entirely.

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Fine Gael Cllr Robert Nash supported the motion and later used his casting vote to pass the amendment. He said residents are angry about the lack of consultation and that the current process feels inconsistent with how difficult it is for locals to obtain planning permission for their own land. He expressed doubt that the project could proceed without significant CPO use, which he said he sees as a core concern for landowners.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Emma Coffey supported the motion, argued that there is no legislative barrier preventing a pause, because the Code of Practice is not law. She stressed the council can raise concerns and take a formal position. She said residents feel “disconnected” and that councillors must be transparent and vocal on their behalf.