Madam, - I welcome the news that a Government-commissioned report has suggested that the State can legislate for access to land for recreational purposes without giving landowners a right to seek compensation (The Irish Times, July 6th). As a member of a large walking club with 610 members, we would love to know that we can have access to the Irish uplands to enjoy one of the oldest sports in the world: hill walking.
We are a group of people who are conscientious in our pursuit of hill-walking. We do not damage fencing, leave gates open, bring dogs with us, nor frighten cattle. We ask permission of land owners if it appears we are approaching too near their dwellings. In this era of greater environmental consciousness, hill-walkers tread lightly with their carbon footprint.
Our sport is a healthy one that can be enjoyed without any great outlay of money. It is also a growing area of tourism, appealing to many of the visitors who come to enjoy the unique Irish countryside.
Contrary to the view of IFA president Pádraig Walshe, we do not see ourselves in contravention of Article 43.2 of the Constitution nor in any way "attempting to abolish the general right of private ownership." We merely want to walk across open countryside, such as moorland, commonage, bog or high open countryside, and never to trespass on crops or interfere in the least with the livelihoods of hill farmers. I want to assure Irish landowners and farmers that we have absolutely no desire to interfere with people's ownership of their land. I fail to see the connection between access to the countryside and "the general right to transfer, bequeath and inherit property", as also mentioned in the Constitution.
While Mr Walshe may consider negotiation as the way to establish access to the hills, previous discussions have resulted in stalemate and the legal route thus appears as the only way left to establish rights to enjoy the open countryside. - Yours, etc,
KATHLEEN FORDE, Iveragh Road, Gaeltacht Park, Dublin 9.