Madam, - The Green Party has unfortunately failed in its attempt to have rights of way listed in county development plans (Dáil Report, December 1st). Given the 50 per cent drop in the numbers of walking tourists visiting this country in little over a decade this was a welcome but tiny first attempt to get us into line with our European neighbours.
However, the Minister concerned, Mr Ó Cuív, is quite content to have nebulous "rights of way" that are not shown on maps, not indicated by signposts and not even listed in county development plans. So who knows where they are?
The Minister had the effrontery to describe the Green Party's proposal as "a sledgehammer to crack a nut". Given the modesty of that proposal and the great loss to the country caused by the demise of walking tourism, the Minister's cliché should be reversed: he won't even use a nut to try to crack a sledgehammer. - Yours etc.,
TONY KEARNS, Killegar, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.