Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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573. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the €2 million increase in allocation of funding for the walks scheme will be announced as promised in the programme for partnership Government. [39931/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department administers the Walks Scheme which facilitates the development and maintenance of many of Ireland’s walking trails. The scheme involves landholders as key participants in the provision of high quality walking trails, by contracting them to undertake maintenance work on sections of National Waymarked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. Participant landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken, in line with agreed work plans.

The scheme currently covers 39 trails, with payments made to approximately 1,900 landholders to maintain those trails.

The Programme for a Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both include a commitment to increase the number of trails covered by the Walks Scheme.

My officials are working towards this objective and will review the scheme’s operation over the coming months to determine how best to expand the scheme and to maximise the impact of the resources available to me.

By the end of this year I hope to be in a position to make an announcement in relation to this matter.