Madam, - Keep Ireland Open made a presentation to the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution and would like to comment on Patsy McGarry's subsequent report (July 16th).
Firstly we would like to stress the seriousness of the situation facing us and the urgency needed to tackle it. Look at our rivals in the lucrative and growing walking tourism market. Scotland is one example where not only is the Assembly "preparing legislation to allow freedom to roam", as Patsy writes, it is greatly extending its existing legislation to allow access almost everywhere in the country. It is the same story in other European countries; indeed, the EU's stance is that access should be granted unless there are compelling reasons otherwise.
It would be bad enough if we were merely lagging behind countries which are our rivals for walking tourists, but we are actually heading in the opposite direction, with more and more areas being blocked off by landowners. BFE has now identified lack of access as the greatest threat to walking tourism; to confirm this analysis we have on file a growing correspondence from angry foreign walkers who have no intention of coming here again because they found it so difficult to find places to walk freely.
Lastly, Keep Ireland Open is not just a "group representing hillwalkers", as Patsy states. We are working for all recreational users of the countryside and seeking the same rights that our European neighbours take for granted. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID HERMAN, Keep Ireland Open, Meadow Grove, Dublin 16.