Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships 2006 in Co. Carlow today Minister Ó Cuív welcomed Comhairle na Tuaithe’s (the Countryside Recreation Council) report on a countryside recreation strategy and thanked the members of Comhairle na Tuaithe for all their work over the last two and a half years. He said:-
“Comhairle na Tuaithe has raised a number of legal issues to be addressed, along with a proposal that the Law Reform Commission be requested to make recommendations on the broad issue of access to the countryside for recreational users.
“I am concerned to ensure that these issues are addressed as a matter of priority.
To expedite matters I am establishing an expert group, comprising a Senior Counsel and officials from the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and my own Department to urgently advise on tackling each of the legal issues raised.
“Immediate actions now arising from my consideration of the report and other work are;
· I am making €1.5m funding available for capital work under the Rural Social Scheme and I’m asking the leader companies to give particular priority to walkways and ancillary services.
· Fáilte Ireland have already identified a selection of looped walks which they have publicised in their brochure – Walking Ireland – and on their website. My Department in consultation with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, Fáilte Ireland and the National Waymarked Ways are identifying in the region of 20 further looped walks and waymarked ways for development. Details will be published before the end of the year of the work required to bring these up to the best international standards and I am also setting €1.5m aside for this purpose.
· The Rural Development package 2007-2013 means a trebling of EU and National funding for rural development under a LEADER type programme. Three of the main priorities under the new EU Rural Development programme will be: -
1. The development of recreational tourism including the development of facilities for walking, cycling, angling, pony trekking, bird watching etc and ancillary facilities such as car parking, and other services such as signage, village renewal etc.
2. The complementary development of the broader rural tourism package such as upgraded accommodation, food tourism and other services.
3. The development of small or regional food sectors to add significantly to the unique experience for our visitors.
· My Department is actively pursuing the possibility of using former railway infrastructure as recreational trails for cycling etc. with the Department of Transport and Iarnród Éireann.
· I have reached agreement with Fáilte Ireland for the employment of up to 10 Walk Managers under the Community Services Programme to promote walking tourism in areas where there are clusters of suitable, accessible walks. The Walk Managers will act as a contact person for walking tourists and will provide a wide range of support and advice. They will be funded through the Community Services Programme.
· A branch of Leave No Trace has recently been established in Ireland and I am pleased to announce that my Department will be supporting that organisation by allocating €30,000 towards the employment of a Strategic Co-ordinator. The Co-ordinator will be involved in actively promoting the Leave No Trace message among the many countryside recreation groups around the country.
· I have also allocated €90,000 (€30,000 per annum over the next three years) to Wicklow Uplands Council and Wicklow Rural Partnership to provide a network of access routes over private lands in areas of high scenic and amenity value in County Wicklow. This project is an example of how community based solutions can be found to issues such as access to the countryside and is very much in keeping with Comhairle na Tuaithe’s recommendations. I see the project as a way of piloting some of the suggestions in Comhairle na Tuaithe’s report and am very pleased to see that Wicklow County Council have joined my Department in funding the project.
“I have noted Comhairle na Tuaithe's acceptance of the right of recreational users to lobby for legislative change and I absolutely recognise that right.
“I am also aware of Comhairle na Tuaithe's comment regarding motorized vehicles for recreational purposes and the recommendation that they should be confined to designated areas and discouraged elsewhere. I fully accept that the indiscriminate use of these vehicles in open countryside for recreational purposes could cause physical risk, environmental damage and noise pollution. I will be taking urgent steps in consultation with the relevant Departments and Agencies to deal with this issue in a definitive manner in line with the recommendations in Comhairle na Tuaithe's report.
“It is clear that the key to success for all of these actions is cooperation. By working together - individuals, communities, agencies, state bodies - we can make the most of Ireland’s beautiful countryside and maximise the enjoyment of it for as many people as possible.”
Editor’s Note
Comhairle na Tuaithe
Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs established Comhairle na Tuaithe to address three priority issues; access to the countryside, the development of a Countryside Code and the development of a National Countryside Recreation Strategy. The objective of the Strategy is to put in place an accepted and agreed vision for countryside recreation and a blueprint for action and implementation of that Strategy into the future. Comhairle na Tuaithe includes representatives from the farming organisations, Coillte, tourism marketing bodies, the Irish Sports Council, the Heritage Council and recreational users of the countryside.
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace is an international outdoor ethics programme that explains to visitors of the countryside their role in caring for themselves and the environment. It aims to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships. Comhairle na Tuaithe’s agreed Countryside Code is based on the Leave No Trace principles.
Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:00:51 BST