John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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944. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 300 of 24 October 2017, if he will address the specific query regarding the progress of development by Coillte of mountain bike trails in the Clydagh Valley and south County Kerry area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46660/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Coillte was established as a private commercial company under the Forestry Act, 1988 and day-to-day operational matters, such as the development of recreational facilities on its lands, are the responsibility of the company.

The matter was, however, raised with Coillte, who advised that, as mentioned in my earlier reply, it issued the ‘Off-road cycling Strategy’ in 2012 that set out the plan for the future management and development of off-road cycling on Coillte lands.  I outlined, in my previous response, the position in relation to the candidate site at Rossacroo forest close to Killarney. With reference to the further two sites assessed in the South Kerry area for mountain bike trails, I am advised that one of these was in the Clydagh Valley but, as the two sites did not comply with the required criteria for development, the projects were not progressed in these locations.

I am also advised Coillte are not planning any development of a mountain bike trail in the Clydagh valley or South Kerry area at present.