Mr. J.P. Mulherin:

As the Deputy probably knows, Comhairle na Tuaithe has now been in existence for a good 20 years. Up until recently, it was chaired by Dr. Liam Twomey. A new chairperson will be put in place. It meets every quarter and its primary function right now is to oversee the delivery. It has a number of different subgroups considering important work areas under the strategy. There is one for the uplands areas considering how we develop them and there are ones for responsible behaviour, which involves asking how we improve the behaviour of people in the outdoors, particularly when accessing private land. There is another considering infrastructure development, which involves asking how we ensure that the investment we put in place is used in the right way, that the right infrastructure is put in place and that it is done in a sustainable way.

The nub of the question is on who is represented on Comhairle na Tuaithe. All the private landowners are represented through the farming associations. The local authorities and Coillte, as public landowners, are represented. Leave No Trace Ireland, the Department of Transport, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and user groups like Cycling Ireland and Mountaineering Ireland are also represented. Therefore, it is a very diverse grouping. The local authorities are represented through the County and City Management Association. We believe it is very representative of all the stakeholders in the sector. There are about 20 members and the meetings are very productive. Part of the benefit of the strategy and what is happening now under Comhairle na Tuaithe is bringing all those people together to discuss all the issues and thrash through them. It has been quite successful on the back of the strategy. That is probably giving more of a focus to the work of Comhairle na Tuaithe than it has ever had before.