Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if funding will be provided from his Department to list public rights of way for inclusion in county development plans in view of the lack of financial resources available to local authorities. [37383/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under section 206 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, public rights of way may be created by agreement between a planning authority and any person having the necessary power to dedicate such a right over land. Section 207 of the Act provides that, if it appears to the planning authority that there is need for a public right of way over any land, the planning authority may, by resolution, make an order creating such a right of way.

These procedures for the creation of public rights of way are independent of the development plan process. However, where a planning authority proposes to include, for the first time, a provision in a development plan relating to the preservation of a specific public right of way, section 14 of the 2000 Act sets out the procedures to be followed in this regard. There are no proposals to provide specific funding to list public rights of way for inclusion in development plans.