Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the work carried out by Comhairle na Tuaithe over recent years. I established Comhairle na Tuaithe in 2004 to address the three issues of access to the countryside, developing a countryside code and developing a national countryside recreation strategy. This decision followed consideration by the rural agri-tourism advisory group of a report presented by the consultation group on access to waymarked ways. The establishment of a countryside council was the key recommendation of the report.

Comhairle na Tuaithe comprises representatives of the farming organisations, recreational users of the countryside and State bodies with an interest in the countryside. Comhairle na Tuaithe's established separate working groups, which report at regular intervals to the full comhairle, to address the three specific areas of its mandate.

In its work to date, Comhairle na Tuaithe has identified and agreed a set of access parameters to the countryside, which it believes will serve as a basis for conflict prevention and which integrates a variety of needs and responsibilities. Comhairle na Tuaithe has also agreed the key features necessary for countryside code development, with a focus on the potential application of the internationally recognised leave no trace initiative. Leave no trace is an outdoor ethics programme, which explains to visitors their role in caring for the countryside, others and themselves while visiting the countryside, forest or other areas of outdoor recreation.

Details of the access parameters and the countryside code are available in a booklet which I launched last September and are on my Department's website at www.pobail.ie. Comhairle na Tuaithe works in partnership with stakeholder organisations to develop a national countryside recreation strategy. Its strategy working group heads up this work. All members of Comhairle na Tuaithe have been actively involved in the development of the strategy and I appreciate that they have devoted time from their busy schedules to carry out this important work.

The purpose of the countryside recreation strategy will be to define the scope and vision for countryside recreation as agreed by Comhairle na Tuaithe. It will set out the broad principles under which Comhairle na Tuaithe recommends that sustainable countryside recreation can be managed into the future.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

To ensure the development of the strategy is informed by the wishes of the many stakeholders in this area, Comhairle na Tuaithe embarked on a consultation phase before beginning work on drafting the strategy. It invited submissions from interested individuals and groups. This invitation appeared in the national and provincial newspapers at the end of October last year and, in addition, Comhairle na Tuaithe wrote to groups representing recreational interests, State agencies and relevant Departments seeking their views. A total of 190 submissions were received in answer to this call. The work of examining the submissions received has been completed and the drafting of a countryside recreation strategy is proceeding.

I expect Comhairle na Tuaithe's report to include a synopsis of the views received in the submissions from interested parties, Comhairle na Tuaithe's vision for countryside recreation over the coming years, a discussion on the challenges to achieving that vision and an implementation action plan. I look forward to receiving a report on a national countryside recreation strategy from Comhairle na Tuaithe over the coming weeks.

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