Kerry County Council has insisted that an investment of more than €70m in the construction of a 27km greenway in the south of the county will be recouped, despite a threefold increase in the estimated cost of the project over the past seven years.
The council said the greenway will pay for itself through increased visitor numbers and spend in the area.
A further 4km section of the greenway, from Glenbeigh south towards Cahersiveen, opens this weekend.
Farmers who own land along the greenway are calling for further engagement on payments they say are due to them for signing land over for the project.
Running along the route of the former Great Southern and Western Railway Line between Farranfore and Valentia Harbour, the South Kerry Greenway will extend over 27km of spectacular, mountainous terrain between Glenbeigh and Renard.
The total estimated cost has more than tripled to €72m, up from a 2019 estimate of €20m.
The latest estimate on the cost of the project was confirmed by the Chief Executive of Kerry County Council, Fearghal Reidy, in a report to councillors a fortnight ago.
However, the council insists the investment will more than be recouped by attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors, who will spend between €20m and €38m per year and create between 300 and 550 jobs in the area.
"We've worked a lot with the local community, and we're expecting jobs to be delivered in the area," Bridget Fitzgerald, Kerry County Council's Acting Director of Services for Capital Delivery, Climate Resilience and Culture told RTÉ News.
"Kerry County Council will work with local businesses to support local businesses in the area, to open new businesses or expand the businesses they have into areas like bike rental, restaurants and cafes," Ms Fitzgerald said.
Kerry County Council commissioned consultants PWC to carry out an economic impact assessment on the South Kerry Greenway.
In that assessment, PWC concluded: "The economic impact extends beyond direct spending to include indirect effects through the local supply chain and induced effects from the increased disposable income of households.
"Under the central visitor scenario, the total Gross Value Added (GVA) is estimated at €38.2m annually, supporting 542 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs.
"Under a low visitor scenario, the impact remains substantial, with an estimated annual GVA of €20.8m and 296 FTE jobs supported. Under a more positive high visitor scenario, the annual GVA is estimated at €53.5m, with 760 FTE jobs supported.
"The South Kerry Greenway shows enormous promise for the region. Beyond the significant economic impact, the greenway is projected to deliver substantial benefits to users in terms of health and wellness, as well as to the environment, community cohesion, and overall quality of life.
"The economic appraisal shows that the benefits to society significantly outweigh the costs, and the overall social and economic impact of the project is likely to be both positive and substantial," the report continued.
Bridget Fitzgerald said she has no doubt the project will prove to be money well spent by the council.
"We really feel that the construction of the greenway -- we admit there's a lot of cost involved; it's a very technically challenging project in some of the areas, especially around Mountain Stage -- but we believe and we can stand over that the costs that are being incurred in the project, the benefits will be felt for many years to come, over the next generation," she said.
There are more than 130 farmers who own land along the route of the greenway.
CEO Fearghal Reidy admits more than half of them have yet to be paid for signing over land for the project along the route.
A code of best practice for national and regional greenways was agreed in December 2021 by the Department of Transport, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the IFA, ICMSA and the ICSA.
The code provides for two greenway sustainability payments to be paid to farmers.
The first payment is payable where a voluntary land acquisition agreement is in place between a landowner and Kerry County Council at a pre-planning decision stage.
Kerry County Council claims this payment is not applicable to landowners on the route of the South Kerry Greenway, as planning permission for the project, first announced in 2014, pre-dated the introduction of the code of practice.
A second payment, a so-called co-operation payment, is applicable to farmers in South Kerry and will, according to Kerry County Council, be paid to landowners when their agreements are processed.
Farm leaders in Kerry are calling for engagement to ensure payments due to them are completed, including the first disputed payment.
"Everyone is supporting the greenway, it's a massive plus for tourism and all that. We all know the positives," said Kerry IFA Chairman Jason Fleming.
"But, the bottom line here is Kerry County Council, and TII and the Government have to bring everyone with them.
"That's including farmers, and they're letting farmers behind here. We can't have a scenario where we are maybe 15 or 16 years on and farmers are still not being properly sorted out," Mr Fleming said.
The greenway will be 27km in length when it is completed.
Seven kilometres have already been opened, a further two kilometres will be opened in June, and the full length will be opened by 2030.
