IFA Gets Assurance That Cooley Geopark Proposal Will Not Proceed

IFA Hill Committee Chairman Pat Dunne has received assurance from Louth County Council that the cross-border Geopark proposal for the Cooley Penninsula will not proceed as the objections of farmers have to be taken into account.

At a meeting in Dundalk with Louth County Council involving Cooley hill farmers, it was pointed that the imposition of a Geopark would be an added restriction on farming and land owners in general in the area.

Pat Dunne reminded the Council officials that the lands that were being considered for Geopark status already have some land designations placed upon them. Turning the area into a Geopark would effectively create a National Park on private land, similar to Parks in the UK. IFA information from these areas is that planning and other restrictions make it very difficult to continue farming.

Pat Dunne welcomed the engagement of Louth County Council as an example of how proposals that are damaging to farmers can be dealt with in other Local Authority areas.