Madam, - The last sentence of your perceptive Editorial "Walk this way" (July 16th) certainly hit the nail on the head. Referring to the obdurate attitude of the farming organisations to countryside access, it states: "If a group of absentee landlords were involved, there would be no question of shilly-shallying."
A strong case could be made that Irish farming organisations now present a similar case to their absentee landlord predecessors in the 19th century. Present-day farmers have the law entirely on their side, are totally heedless of the common good, have no regard for those in their midst who might want to improve their lot (in this case rural folk who might want to diversify into agri-tourism) and are the benefactors of huge largesse for which they do not have to lift a finger.
It is apparent to everyone who has had to deal with them that enticements only lead to further demands - apparent, rather, to everyone but the relevant Minister, Éamon Ó Cuív. After three years and more of shilly-shallying, it is high time he appealed over the farmers' heads to the general public and then introduced suitable legislation to give recreational users legal rights to access land.
Anything else is a waste of time. - Yours, etc,
NOEL BARRY, Secretary, Enniskerry Walking Association, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
Madam, - I live on a farm with my parents in Co Wicklow and have completed the Certificate in Farming, so I have a good understanding of the issues surrounding access.
Here are the points I wish to make:
1. Accidents: Farmers should not have the worry and responsibility for uninvited people on their private property.
2. Other walkways: Ireland is renowned for its beauty and thousands of tourists already come here to walk our established nature reserves, parklands, walkways and coastlines, so the excuse of trying to improve tourism is an empty one.
3. Litter: The farmer is going to have the job of cleaning it up. We do not live in an ideal world where littering does not exist and no organisation can guarantee that it will not happen. Wrappers and similar litter pose a fatal threat to animals and it is the farmer who will lose out if animals die in this way.
4. Danger: A farmer could be drawing bales all day to the yard from fields and does not need the hazard of people on his land passing up and down by the tractor.
5. Privacy: People passing your back door to walk on your land is an invasion of privacy. If a family have young children they have an added concern.
6. Farmers paid good money for land and are now being expected to let people use it for nothing. I wonder how Roger Garland or Jackie Rumley of Keep Ireland Open would like people sitting in their gardens admiring the flowers.
I feel the best solution may be for some farmers who wish to volunteer the use of their land to genuine hill-walkers to work together. Farmers should not be forced to make their land available.
Farmers who open land to walkers could perhaps then provide other services at a cost, such as tea, coffee and sandwiches - unless they are expected to do that for nothing too. - Yours, etc,
A . BYRNE, Woodlands, Glen of the Downs, Co Wicklow.