Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I will try to answer all of the Deputy's questions. I envisage that a walk manager will have two functions. First, he or she will negotiate possible new walks in developing the product, working from home and using a mobile telephone. The walk manager's second function will be to avoid conflict. A person seeking information about walks in an area will be given the walk manager's telephone number. In addition, if a person wants to find out where to get lodgings or a meal or how to access mountains or fields without disrupting farmers, the local walk manager will be able to help and will know what can be done and what should be avoided. He or she will be able to telephone a local farmer to ask if walkers may use his or her fields to reach a mountain. As well as being managers of specific walks, I hope they will have a liaison role which will create goodwill between walkers and landowners.

If a walker is using a specific walk and finds that flooding has made it impassable — if even 200 yards of a 50-mile path is impassable, the walk becomes pointless — he or she will know immediately who to contact. The walk manager will then contact officials of the rural social scheme to ensure the walk is reinstated. If a farmer notices a broken stile or a gate left open, he or she will know who to contact. Much of the conflict experienced in the past was due to no one being available to take control when a problem arose. Walkers became frustrated when they found that damage to walks had not been repaired, perhaps because the walk may only have been surveyed once every year. On the other hand, landowners often found an area left in an unsatisfactory state or observed walkers acting inappropriately, for example, entering a field with a bull or in which silage was being cut. The walk manager will have a role in this respect.

Many sand dunes and machairí are in special areas of conservation and are, therefore, vulnerable. In such circumstances, measures taken regarding these areas would be subject to advice from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. One would not be allowed to damage pristine special areas of conservation. In many cases investment is the solution, as was apparent in the national park in Letterfrack where a boardwalk was constructed in response to over-usage. We must start investing in this sector which we took for granted until a crisis arose and we suddenly realised we had only exploited about 10% of its potential.

There are three levels of railway line. Some are open and used by trains every day, while others are closed but not abandoned. The latter category includes the Navan to Kingscourt line, about which there has been considerable debate, and the Athlone to Mullingar and Cork to Youghal lines, all of which have been closed for many years. All three lines remain in State ownership and have not been abandoned. For technical reasons, they are currently not available. It is a pity the alignments were not maintained on railway lines which closed. Reinstatement of the lines would have been possible because it would not be a problem converting them back to their original use. It is intended to use some lines for walks on a licensed basis. The three lines under discussion are abandoned but remain in the ownership of Iarnród Éireann. They were not sold to local landowners and offer considerable potential.

I hope the plans will encourage communities in other areas with abandoned railway lines which were sold to local landowners to use part of the lines for cycling or walking. Considerable progress has been made on part of a railway line in the west which has been abandoned since the Second World War. Walkers and cyclists can use part of the line before taking another route and returning to the line thereafter. This is acceptable because walkers and cyclists, unlike trains, are able to take a right-angle turn onto another path before returning to the line on land held be people who are willing to allow walkers and cyclists use the line.

The lines in State ownership are the easy part. Perhaps sections of the Cahirciveen or west Clare railway lines could also be used for these purposes. Even making four miles of line available would be a fantastic outcome. Once communities see what is possible, they will come forward with good and novel ideas. Our experience is that many good ideas are coming out of the woodwork now that the debate has started. I thank Deputy O'Shea for his kind words.

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