Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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936. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total funding allocated to the walks scheme over the past three years; her proposals to increase funding in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24686/16]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Walks Scheme is a scheme under which private landholders receive modest payments to maintain sections of National Way Marked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. Payments totalling €1,779,410 and €1,769,698 were made to participants in 2014 and 2015 respectively, and it is anticipated that in the region of €1,770,000 will be made in payments to participants during 2016. The number of participants on the scheme currently stands at 1,908 and covers 39 trails. The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to doubling the amount of funding available for the Walks Scheme and to double the number of walks covered.

The Walks Scheme forms part of the Government’s programme for rural development. In recent weeks, I also approved funding for a new round of Rural Recreation projects totalling €4.455 million to facilitate the development of new recreational facilities and the maintenance of existing recreational infrastructure across 75 projects throughout Ireland.