Sir, – The recent lockdown has highlighted how few local walking routes have survived in Ireland. Many people around the country who stretched their legs by going out for a walk in their locality had a choice between pounding the roads or chancing a stroll on much of our beautiful countryside – a countryside where they had no right to be.
Unlike every other country in Europe – and most beyond – Ireland still has virtually no rights of access onto private land. The few attempts made over the years to rectify this sad fact have been defeated by the two main political parties and only half-heartedly supported by Labour and the Greens.
Attempts over recent years to extend walking routes by paying landowners for notional maintenance have only opened a tiny fraction of our hills, rivers, lakes countryside and national monuments. These “agreed” walkways also have the terrible drawback that they confer no rights and landowners can close down walks whenever they like.
The result is that individual counties in England have more walking routes than all of the 26 counties. In Scotland, like Scandinavia, citizens have the right to go almost everywhere, providing they respect strict but reasonable rules.
:fill(white):background_color(white)/static.themebuilder.aws.arc.pub/irishtimes/1647534191476.png)
If the Greens are to enter into coalition, they must make it a priority that we grant to Irish citizens and visitors the same reasonable rights of public access as exists almost everywhere outside of this green but overwhelmingly private land. – Yours, etc,
ALBERT SMITH,
Enniskerry
Walking Association,
Enniskerry,
Co Wicklow.