WE LIVE in a wonderful country with marvellous outdoor amenities. Many species of fish can be caught within the boundaries of Dublin city; the quality of bathing water and beach facilities has generally improved; the number of sailing and motor boats is rising and determined efforts are being made to improve long-distance walking and other facilities in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains.
For the past number of years the Wicklow Uplands Council, with financial assistance from Fáilte Ireland, has worked to improve old walking routes and signage along the Wicklow Way and St Kevin's Way. Now, it is joining with Coillte, local Dublin councils and other bodies in planning and developing outdoor recreational facilities through a Dublin Mountains Partnership. A recreation manager will be appointed, along with a mountain ranger service, and it is hoped to provide facilities for walkers, cyclists and horse riders on Coillte lands. Unfortunately, the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has withdrawn from the scheme.
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council will contribute €100,000 over the next three years while Coillte has secured funding for capital projects. Connections from Dublin to the Wicklow Way will be upgraded and canal walks developed for less energetic people. Specially designated facilities will be provided for mountain bikers, scramblers and horse riders from a safety point of view and to avoid conflict with other users. Tourists and local people will be encouraged to make greater use of the area.
Coillte should be complimented for its active involvement in this and other outdoor pursuits projects. As a profitable commercial State company, it manages nearly half a million hectares of forest countrywide. And it welcomes nearly 18 million visitors a year to 11 forest parks and 150 recreational sites. Not only that, it is developing new recreational facilities and showing clearly that making money from commercial woodland does not exclude the encouragement of tourism.
The number of hill walkers coming to Ireland has fallen dramatically in recent years because of difficulty in accessing upland areas. At the same time, walking tourism in Spain, France and other European countries has expanded rapidly. Small local hotels, B&Bs and restaurants are losing out on this lucrative business here at a time when other employment is becoming hard to find. Coillte's easy combination of commercial and recreational usage makes sense. Farmers should consider the needs of the wider community.