Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I could benefit from getting on a bike more often. We need to ensure landowners will have confidence that their property rights will be respected.

Another speaker mentioned the Leave No Trace campaign. Tourists coming to Ireland are well accustomed to such initiatives. On the other hand, the disrespect shown by certain people in public parks in Dublin city over the last bank holiday weekend was very disappointing. I would hate to see the same happening in the countryside. As legislators and public representatives, we have a duty to instill in the public conscience that access to the country necessitates a corresponding responsibility and respect for landowners. Tourism is the second largest industry internationally, coming in behind agriculture. The two must be able to coexist. Farmers must have confidence that allowing access to their lands will not damage their livelihood. The Bill Deputy Dowds has brought forward will help a great deal in advancing the debate on these issues.

It is important to note that there is a significant transfer of wealth from urban to rural areas. That is a function of population coverage and the fact that the majority of the investment in jobs is focused on urban areas. Those areas are the engine of economic growth in all western societies. There will always be a transfer of wealth from urban citizens for the purpose of ensuring the sustainability of rural communities. There should, therefore, be a quid pro quoin the form of access to the countryside.

The introduction of this Bill represents the beginning of what I hope will be a comprehensive engagement on these issues. We must get the message out that it is possible to find a respectful way of ensuring access to the countryside for everybody. There must be an acknowledgement that landowners and farmers have rights and that people who access the countryside should leave no trace. There is a real benefit in terms of jobs and growth from facilitating that type of co-operation, not only for the tourism industry but for a range of sectors. There is a significant knock-on effect in this. For example, I spoke to the owner of a small bicycle shop who said he would not be in business only for the local greenway. He rents bikes, repairs them, fixes punctures and so on. The increased level of recreational activity facilitated by the greenway is affording him a good lifestyle.

I commend the Bill to the House and hope it signals the beginning of action in this area. I hope my colleague, Deputy Broughan, took my remark in the spirit in which it was intended.

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