Mr. Fintan O'Brien:

I thank the Chair and members of the committee for the invitation to attend today’s meeting. I am joined today by my colleague, Mr. J.P. Mulherin, principal officer in the investment programmes and outdoor recreation unit. We very much welcome the opportunity to update the committee on the work of the Department in respect of Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, Ireland's national outdoor recreation strategy and on the work in the Department to support the development and maintenance of the network of trails throughout the country.

Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors is a collaborative cross-government, stakeholder-led strategy. Significant stakeholder and public engagement were central to developing this strategy. The members of Comhairle na Tuaithe led the development and drafting of this strategy alongside the then Department of Rural and Community Development. As the committee will be aware, Comhairle na Tuaithe, also known as the Countryside Council, was established to support the development of the outdoor recreation sector and the responsible use of the countryside. It advises the Minister in respect of these matters and includes a diverse range of stakeholder representatives. These include Departments, State agencies and public bodies with responsibilities for the outdoor recreation sector; public and private landowners who allow access to their lands for the purposes of outdoor recreation; organisations which directly provide outdoor recreation infrastructure or provide support for the management and development of such structures; national governing bodies and organisations representing outdoor recreational users; not-for-profit and commercial countryside recreation activity providers and facilitators and education providers; and organisations promoting and educating about responsible and sustainable use of the countryside and its resources.

Importantly, the strategy reflects the position of this diverse range of stakeholders. The implementation of the strategy is being jointly led by the Department and Sport Ireland. Progress in delivering the strategy is being monitored through a strategy oversight group and quarterly meetings of Comhairle na Tuaithe. The first published report outlining progress in delivering the strategy covered the period to June 2024 and is available on the Department’s website. The second report is due to be published next month, following the next meeting of Comhairle na Tuaithe.

There has been a huge level of growth in the outdoor recreation sector over the last decade. Getting active in the outdoors brings substantial benefits for everyone in our communities in terms of general well-being, physical health, mental health and social interaction. On top of all of that, this sector is a central plank of our tourism offering. We know that millions of visitors to Ireland each year partake in outdoor recreation activities. That figure is only going to grow. This growth in the sector has also been matched by substantial levels of investment, including through schemes delivered by the Department, such as the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme and the walks scheme.

The aim of the strategy is to ensure there is a joined-up and co-ordinated approach to deliver maximum impact from this significant investment in the sector and build on Ireland’s natural advantages and beautiful landscapes. Better planning and development of outdoor recreation infrastructure is also central to the strategy to ensure we are developing the right infrastructure with enhanced protection of the environment. The strategy includes 95 actions to be delivered over the five years until the end of 2027. To date, 36 of these actions have been completed, with substantial progress recorded in respect of 29 other actions.

Some key areas of delivery include grant aid of up to €30,000 to support the development of county outdoor recreation plans in each county and funding for six county outdoor recreation officer positions on a pilot basis for thee years to co-ordinate delivery in these counties. I understand that this is similar to the role played by Ms. Carol Coad, who is also addressing the committee later. Indeed, the structures already in place in Wicklow have informed the structures being developed in other counties throughout the country.

The Occupiers' Liability Act 1995 was amended to bring in important changes in respect of the duty of care provisions on landholders and included new reference to the voluntary assumption of risk. Comhairle na Tuaithe has developed an information leaflet to explain these important reforms to farmers and recreational users. The walks scheme has been expanded to 164 trails. This vital scheme provides funding for private landowners to maintain trails that traverse their land. It is funded by this Department and managed by a network of rural recreation officers located in local development companies throughout the country.

Since 2020, €93 million has been allocated to support over 1,200 projects through the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, ORIS, including €8.7 million last month for 221 new projects under measure 1 of the scheme. The local authorities and local development companies have been working closely with community groups throughout the country to deliver these projects. Three new areas are in the process of joining the mountain access project. This project has been operational in the MacGillycuddy Reeks for a number of years and a new path maintenance scheme for farmers is being developed there on a pilot basis.

The Department is providing €15 million to Coillte over five years to maintain and develop trails on over 250 sites throughout the country. An additional €1.4 million was also approved this year by the Minister to assist with storm repair costs on Coillte lands this year. This is just a snapshot of some of the actions being delivered. Comhairle na Tuaithe is working on a wide range of other actions linked to important issues such as promoting responsible behaviour in the outdoors and developing guidance to support best practice in infrastructure development. Individual members are also investing substantially in the sector, including funding for greenways through the Department of Transport and funding for the midlands trail network being supported by Fáilte Ireland through the Just Transition Fund. The strategy itself is the result of a collaborative effort by stakeholders across the sector. While the implementation is being led by the Department and Sport Ireland, the delivery is entirely dependent on the input and action of each of these stakeholders. There is much still to be done to realise the vision of the strategy but I am confident that we are making good progress.

I hope this has provided a useful overview.for committee members. I look forward to hearing their views and myself and my colleague, Mr. Mulherin will be happy to respond to any questions over the course of the meeting.