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Rural Recreation Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 October 2021

Thursday, 14 October 2021

Questions (60)

Holly Cairns

Question:

60. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will employ additional rural recreational officers and ensure they are allocated according to the work plans being operated by the local development companies. [50123/21]

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Written answers

The Walks Scheme, which is funded by my Department, contracts landholders to undertake maintenance work on National Waymarked Ways and other priority trails that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken in line with agreed work plans.

On 29 September, I announced the 'approval in principle' of 31 new trails to join the Walks Scheme. This fulfils the commitment in the Programme for Government and Our Rural Future to double the number of trails on the Scheme to 80 trails. These trails will be formally brought into the scheme by Local Development Companies who deliver the Walks Scheme locally and who will develop work plans for each of the individual landholders involved.

In order to facilitate this expansion, and in keeping with recommendations from the recently published review of the Walks Scheme, I have committed to funding 8 new Rural Recreation Officer (RROs) posts in Local Development Companies. This is in addition to the 13 posts already in place. I have also committed to providing additional administration funding for the Local Development Companies to support them in delivering the scheme locally.

It is anticipated that there will be new RROs facilitating the delivery of trails in Kerry, Louth, Waterford, Limerick, Cavan and surrounding areas, and the Islands. Funding for an additional RRO post is also being provided to the local Development Company in West Cork given the large number of existing participants on the scheme there and for a new RRO post for the remainder of County Cork.

The above locations have been selected on the basis that they are areas which have, or will have under the recent announcement, walking trails on the Scheme. Depending on the number of trails in a given area, some Local Development Companies will be encouraged to work collaboratively so that one RRO can cover a whole county or a number of counties, depending on the particular situation locally. The funding for these positions will ultimately be determined by the development of an acceptable business case by the companies concerned. My Department has been engaging with the relevant Local Development Companies in this regard.

I am also committed to examining further increases in the number of RROs nationwide based on the outcome of our new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy, which is currently being developed in conjunction with Comhairle na Tuaithe.

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