Ms Finola Moylette:

In response to the issue on commonage framework plans, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine did not approach us, but we will approach it, which is probably the way to go. I am happy to suggest that its officials would meet us to discuss in general what they intend to do and allow us to talk to them about rural recreation and issues generally, and see where that goes. Other than that, I am not sure what we can do. I have no problem initiating that.

Deputy Heydon asked about funding. We are the lead Department. Comhairle na Tuaithe is a wide group of agencies and interested parties, including farmers, walkers, Coillte, Fáilte Ireland and the local authorities. The Department itself has a small budget for carrying out the walks scheme and also funds the rural recreation officers. The idea is to get things started and to develop it into something bigger so that it can continue on its own essentially. Some areas outside that through local development companies will fund Leader projects but that is not done on any planned or coherent basis. It depends on what is required in the area or who is interested in doing any particular project. Much new rural recreation tourism-type infrastructure has been developed in that way.

In many ways the funding is ad hoc. We get some funding through Fáilte Ireland. Depending on who wants to do what or what its plans are, we try to spread the resources we have. We would much prefer if we had a more structured funding regime for all that with a more permanent funding stream or structure and a proper plan in place, and we continually work towards that. The whole thing has grown incrementally over the years and people are beginning to see there is value to it. It is not simply access to the countryside; the whole tourism issue is significant as is the health issue. I believe most walkers are locals who are out doing their half an hour or hour in their own locality. Along with all that the whole tourism side of things is growing significantly. There is considerable benefit to be gained, but at the same time we need to be very careful with the infrastructure we have, managing the land we have properly and dealing with the thing in a holistic way. We are making progress slowly but hopefully it will be quite transformational by the time we get through with it. We have our work cut out and I suspect we will still be working away at this in a decade's time.

It is a whole complex area involving several Departments. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in particular, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, need to become more involved and hopefully we can continue to progress matters.