Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Jun 2000

Vol. 521 No. 4

Written Answers. - Access to Recreational Areas.

Joe Higgins

Question:

221 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the steps she has taken to convene an interdepartmental working group to address the impending crisis caused by access being denied to recreational users to many areas of the countryside and recent cases of assaults by landowners on such recreational users. [17631/00]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

While I have certain functions in relation to public access to sites and areas of heritage importance, particularly in State ownership, I do not have responsibility for access to recreational areas generally and for this reason, I do not consider that it would be appropriate for my Department to take the lead role in relation to a working group of the type referred to by the Deputy.