Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy, is set to shape the future of outdoor recreation over the next five years. The Strategy will ensure that there is a joined up and coordinated approach to deliver maximum impact from the significant investment in the sector and to build on the natural advantages in place.

Outdoor recreation activities have developed and gone from strength to strength thanks to this investment. My Department alone has invested over €106 million for more than 1,500 projects under the very successful Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.

There is an undoubted increase in the appetite for the outdoors. By investing in our outdoor amenities – our walkways, cycleways, our rivers, our lakes and bogs – we can provide a real boost to rural Ireland.

At the end of May I announced the start of a new strategic partnership between my Department and Bord na Móna. Under this new partnership initial funding of €50,000 has been allocated for the development of an outdoor recreation strategy, which in time will lead to further recreational opportunities being developed on their lands.

Bord na Móna’s peatlands present a unique outdoor recreation opportunity for land access via their network of rails, bridges, bog roads and off-road trails and waterways in counties Laois, Westmeath, Offaly, Longford, Roscommon, Galway, Tipperary and Kildare.

I know that the development of recreational amenities on the Bord na Móna lands will provide both health and wellbeing benefits for the communities in these counties and will support the growth of sustainable tourism within the Midlands, helping to regenerate the local economy.

ENDS