Call to give walkers unrestricted access

The Mountaineering Council of Ireland has called for open, unrestricted access for walkers to all unenclosed hill and coastal land.

Farmers and other landowners would be paid for maintaining walking routes by providing signs, stiles, etc but not for providing access itself, according to the council.

In a sign of its growing impatience with the approach taken by Minister for Rural Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív on the access issue, the council yesterday called on the Minister to publish his proposals for opening up access to the countryside.

Three years of talks between walkers and farming groups who are members of Comhairle na Tuaithe have failed to produce agreement on the question of access. Farming organisations are seeking payment for allowing access to recreational users, but Mr Ó Cuív has said he is opposed to this.

Earlier this month, Labour published a draft Bill proposing to give walkers access to all land over 150 metres in elevation and not being actively farmed.

The council said it welcomed the publication of Labour's proposals and warned that it could not wait "indefinitely" for agreement if there was no genuine commitment to achieving it.

"We believe that legislation may have to be pursued if a genuine commitment to access agreements through partnership is not quickly evident."

It says walkers have no wish to wander on arable or improved land, go through farmyards or walk past farmers' front doors. "It is the freedom of the hills we seek, not blind alleys of confrontation," said council chairman Dawson Stelfox.

He said a national countryside access system should be created, to include:

• A national, low-level trail network to give all communities access to off-road walking;

• An access path network connecting public roads and carparks to open hill and coastal land;

• A legal framework for access to open, unenclosed uplands and coastal areas;

• A statutory right of access on foot to all publicly-owned land;

• Payments to landowners for route maintenance.