Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 July 2018
523. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of walkways and trails that have been maintained under the walks scheme per year since 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31355/18]
View answerMy Department currently administers the Walks Scheme, which was originally launched in March 2008. The scheme was an innovative response to facilitating the development and maintenance of many of Ireland’s key walking trails.
The table below outlines the number of walks funded under the Scheme since its inception in 2008.
Number of Trails maintained 2008-2018
|
Year |
Number of walks |
|
2008 |
14 |
|
2009 |
29 |
|
2010 |
40 |
|
2011 |
40 |
|
2012 |
40 |
|
2013 |
39 |
|
2014 |
39 |
|
2015 |
39 |
|
2016 |
39 |
|
2017 |
39 |
|
2018 |
39 |
The Programme for a Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development include a commitment to increase the number of trails covered by the Walks Scheme and my officials are working towards this objective.
I intend to initiate a comprehensive review of the scheme’s operation this year in order to determine how best to expand the scheme and maximise the impact of the resources available to me. I hope to be in a position, by the end of this year, to identify a number of priority walks/trails where the scheme will initially be expanded.
