A chara, - In her letter, of December 2nd, Julie Ascoop urged me to take concrete steps to safeguard at least the advertised walks that bring thousands of tourists to Ireland annually.
I would like to confirm that Waymarked Ways have given an undertaking that they will not advertise walks for 2005 where there is any disagreement with landholders in relation to access. I would like to congratulate Waymarked Ways, who have been active members of Comhairle na Tuaithe since its inception, for their generosity and foresight in this matter, and to encourage all landholders to facilitate them in every way possible.
As I said at the recent conference hosted by Comhairle na Tuaithe two weeks ago, "I urge all interested parties to support a community based approach to bringing about a solution to all aspects of the walking and access issue, including the matter of seeking of permission to access land. I believe, given our general partnership approach to solving problems, that this is the correct way to proceed.
"Community spirit is still very much to the forefront in Irish society, and if those on both sides of the access debate are reasonable, generous and community minded, I believe it will serve the best interests of rural tourism in Ireland and rural communities." - Is mise,
ÉAMON Ó CUÍV,
Minister for Community,
Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs,
Dublin 2.