Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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802. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she plans to take into public ownership parts of the countryside and mountainous areas that are not in regular private use to facilitate public recreational use of such lands. [59526/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am delighted to say that yesterday I launched Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027, which was an action under Our Rural Future.

This Strategy was developed in collaboration with Comhairle na Tuaithe and is collaborative cross-Government, stakeholder-led strategy. It reflects the views of stakeholders, the public and the whole of Government and it sets the stage to strengthen and support the sustainable development of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland for years to come.

Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors will provide a strong strategic focus to underpin the significant exchequer investment and will ensure a more joined-up and cohesive approach to the development of outdoor recreation infrastructure at both a national and county level.

Through this Strategy there is a great opportunity to make a real and lasting impact on the shape of outdoor recreation in Ireland.

The focus of the Strategy is on encouraging increased participation for underrepresented groups, better education on how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly while respecting our environment.

I expanded the Walks Scheme in 2021, adding 31 new trails and meeting the Programme for Government commitment of 80 trails under the Scheme and there is a further commitment in the Strategy to expand the Scheme again to 150 trails by 2024. The Strategy also aims to develop a similar scheme for the uplands.

The Strategy also acknowledges the essential role that landowners play in facilitating permissive access to their lands while acknowledging that this goodwill must be respected by recreational users. The legal rights of landowners must also be respected. There are no plans under Embracing Ireland's Outdoorsto take into public ownership parts of the countryside or mountainous areas.