Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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155. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reopen the walks scheme to those on existing walking routes, who were not included in the original scheme, in the interest of equity and ensuring the full walks stay open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22041/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Due to budgetary constraints it has not been possible to develop new walks under the existing Walks Scheme since December 2010. However there are now 39 trails covered by the Scheme. I appreciate there were a number of proposed routes at varying levels of completeness in late 2010 when the Walks Scheme was closed to new applications. Only those projects where contracts had been signed and the Scheme was operational could be allowed to progress.

In 2013 annual payments to participants who maintained sections of trail that traversed their lands exceeded €1.8m. The number of participants on the scheme currently stands at 1,814. It is intended that the scheme will continue with the current walks and participants subject to the availability of funding.