Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he is satisfied regarding the outcome of the work undertaken by Comhairle na Tuaithe; the strategies he intends to introduce to overcome existing opposition to the proposed countryside recreation strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31395/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I am very pleased to inform the House that Comhairle na Tuaithe has completed its work on the development of a national countryside recreation strategy. Its report was presented to me in September.

Comhairle na Tuaithe comprises representatives of State bodies with an interest in the countryside, the farming organisations and recreational users of the countryside and is chaired by my Department. Comhairle na Tuaithe's strategy defines the scope and vision for countryside recreation and it sets out the broad principles under which it recommends that sustainable countryside recreation can be managed into the future. The members of Comhairle na Tuaithe, with the exception of the Irish Farmers Association, have endorsed the report.

Comhairle na Tuaithe's vision encompasses a countryside which welcomes all visitors who practise responsible use of the resource and where the rights and responsibilities of both landowners and recreational users are respected. The report sets out the broad principles under which it recommends that sustainable countryside recreation can be managed into the future. It also sets out the tasks which Comhairle na Tuaithe recommends should be undertaken to achieve this vision and recommends the actions needed to be taken and by which bodies.

I welcome the report and wish to put on record my thanks to the members of Comhairle na Tuaithe for all their hard work and dedication in coming to this agreement. I will study the recommended strategy and will consult as appropriate with other Departments and public bodies on the wider recommendations in the report.

Comhairle na Tuaithe has raised a number of legal issues to be addressed and I am concerned to ensure that these matters are addressed as a matter of priority. To expedite matters, I intend to establish an expert group, comprising a senior counsel and officials from the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and from my Department, to urgently advise on tackling each of the legal issues raised.

I also intend taking a number of immediate actions arising from my initial consideration of the report. I will make €1.5 million funding available for capital work under the rural social scheme and I will ask implementing bodies, which are in most cases Leader companies, to give particular priority to walkways and ancillary services.

Fáilte Ireland has already identified a selection of looped walks which it has publicised in its brochure, Walking Ireland, and on its website. My Department, in consultation with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, Fáilte Ireland, Comhar Leader na hÉireann and the national waymarked ways advisory committee, is identifying further looped walks and waymarked ways for development. Details will be made available over the coming weeks and months of the work required to bring these up to the best international standards. It is my intention to set aside a further €1.5 million for this purpose.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The rural development package 2007-2013 means a trebling of EU and national funding for rural development under a Leader-type programme. Three of my priorities under this programme will be the development of recreational tourism, including the development of facilities for walking, cycling, angling, pony trekking, bird watching etc, and ancillary facilities, such as car parking and other services such as signage, village renewal etc; the complementary development of the broader rural tourism package, such as upgraded accommodation, food tourism and other services; and the development of small or regional food sectors to add significantly to the unique experience for our visitors.

I have reached agreement with Fáilte Ireland for the employment of up to ten walk managers under the community services programme to promote walking tourism in areas where there are clusters of suitable and accessible walks.

I consider a localised community-based approach is the way forward where countryside recreation and issues relating to access to the countryside for this purposes arise. I believe that the majority of people in rural areas see the benefit of these local solutions brought about by working in partnership together. Where it is not possible to reach agreement in a particular area, alternative routes should be explored and developed.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. I welcome the funding that has been allocated and I acknowledge his commitment to finding a solution to this issue. I believe he genuinely wants to solve this problem.

Comhairle na Tuaithe is to be commended for its report. However, another group has been set up and I question whether we are back to square one and still stuck on the main issue. How long will it take to solve that problem? When does the Minister expect the expert group to report? Has he set a timeframe?

I acknowledge much work has been done and new walkways have been opened up, which are working well in some places. The Oldcastle development committee has developed some nice walks and many other groups are also doing so.

However, a fundamental problem exists. The Minister stated he does not agree with compensating farmers and I understand his view. Other organisations, such as the Irish Farmers Association, do not represent everybody but they are digging in their heels and saying "No" to access to land. There is still a principal problem, regardless of all the improvements and other bits and pieces which are going well and being sorted out. What are the Minister's views on a solution to provide some form of compensation or way of easing the pain and burden on landowners or farmers?

I would like to hear the Minister's view of a scheme which is used in foreign countries, a ski pass for those skiing in an area for a week or two. The pass is paid for by the skiers and allows them access to all the ski routes for that week. The revenue collected is used to administer the scheme and to pay compensation to landowners. A walker or tourist could be given a pass for a set period of time in a specified area. The money collected would provide a fund to develop the walks, cover insurance costs and to compensate farmers. This would provide an incentive to the community to promote their area as a walking area. More walkers would mean more money from the sale of passes which would benefit the community and contribute to the development of an area. Farmers and landowners will want to have walkers on their land because it will be worth their while both economically and socially. Could this scheme provide a solution? There must be some means of offering encouragement through incentives. I agree with the Minister that people have a right to walk on the land. However, regardless of all the good being achieved, we must find a solution.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to clarify that the legal issues were raised by the ICMSA and by Keep Ireland Open. They were agreeable to the proposition that these would be examined by either the Attorney General or the Law Reform Commission. An expert group involving the various offices is regarded as the best method. The IFA did not raise legal issues. I note there is no fundamental difference between my position and that of the IFA which has conceded it is looking for maintenance money.

I am not a member of Comhairle na Tuaithe but my officials are members. I understand the IFA wanted its specific proposal to be accepted by Comhairle na Tuaithe, that maintenance money would be paid by rote, irrespective of whether a farmer had a lot or a little maintenance on his land. This is not a good way of proceeding for a number of reasons. My door is open to discussion and negotiation. The IFA is no longer looking for money for access because it accepted since it published a document that it is not a tenable argument.

The suggestion made by the Deputy is that anybody on their own private land can charge for access and earn more if they allow more people on the land. I agree that private landowners can do so. However, what was in question was the idea of the State paying for access and I said this would not happen. This was taken on board by the IFA and it published a document. It suggested a payment of maintenance by rote. I am not keen to go down that route for a number of reasons.

I have fully accepted the principle that farmers should not have to expend any of their money in maintaining a walkway if they are not receiving a direct benefit. The State or somebody else, but probably the State through the rural social scheme, should bear the full cost of maintenance.

The issue is that if the land of 80 farmers is on a walkway — my view is that each one should maintain their own land — the first practical issue is that many of them might not be capable of maintaining their own land, as in the case of 80 or 85-year-old farmers in hilly areas. The second issue is why should everybody be given the same when the work might be very different? The third issue is that if each one does their own, there may be a way of supervising——

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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We must proceed with the next question.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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The Minister and I are in agreement. I suggest that the pass would provide a fund which could be distributed and used to employ people to maintain the routes or given to farmers who put in a given number of hours' work on the routes. There could be a way of administering it with no charge on the State. However, the State should encourage and facilitate it. This might increase our tourism numbers, which are considerably reduced for hill walkers.

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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We need to move on to the second question.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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We are on the same wavelength in this regard and let us give it a push. Rather than waiting for them to approach the Minister, let us suggest some initiatives.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Last Friday I had a very constructive meeting with representatives of the South Kerry Partnership who had some very good ideas. All the time we are trying to move forward. We are not wedded to the belief that this is the only proposal. We are considering creative ways to address the issues. However, from a psychological point of view I am not keen on charging people to climb mountains etc. because we would lose more than we would gain for tourism. I do not mind us investing in it and getting an indirect return as we invest in national parks. I agree with 90% of the IFA paper. However, the proposal for a standard payment per metre would create problems. The obvious one is very simple. If I start paying on 50 walks per metre, the people living around Carrauntuohill, Croagh Patrick and the Sugar Loaf in County Wicklow, all of which attract many climbers, would claim they need to maintain their——

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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The final point is——

Séamus Pattison (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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We need to proceed to Question No. 2. We are way over time.

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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—— in the US national parks nobody minds paying a fee of $100 to get access to all areas. I do not see what is wrong with the principle of charging for hill walking if it is done at a fair price.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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While I will consider it, I must point out the number of walking tourists increased dramatically in 2005. It had reduced but increased again in 2005.