Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
929. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 3497 of 14 April 2026, if he will provide an update on the progress being made in the development of 'Embracing Ireland's Outdoors', the national outdoor recreation strategy in the Drogheda area. [28309/26]
View answer930. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 3497 of 14 April 2026, to provide an update on the establishment of county outdoor recreation committees in County Louth; the stakeholders that will be part of these committees; and the engagement that will take place with community groups in the Drogheda area when developing county outdoor recreation plans. [28310/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 929 and 930 together.
Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023- 2027 was published in November 2022. The implementation of Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors is being jointly led by my Department and Sport Ireland. Progress in delivering the strategy is being monitored through a strategy oversight group and quarterly meetings of Comhairle na Tuaithe. The 2nd Progress report, which provides an update on all strategy actions due to be delivered up to the end of June 2025, is published on my Department’s website.
My department, in conjunction with Sport Ireland, continues to implement the remaining strategy actions to address the challenges and opportunities of this exciting and growing sector.
A key action in the Strategy is the development of a County Outdoor Recreation Plan to reflect the priorities of the national strategy in each county. This will create a more strategic approach and ensure that investment is better aligned with national and county priorities.
These plans will guide the development of outdoor recreation in each county over the next 5 years. My department is providing funding to support the development of the plans, including in Louth where Louth County Council have been finalising the plan on behalf of the County Outdoor Recreation Committee.
I understand that Louth County Outdoor Recreation Committee (CORC) was established in January 2024 and includes Louth County Council, Louth Local Development Company, Failte Ireland, Coillte, the Loughs Agency, Boyne Valley Walking Group & Carlingford Heritage Trust.
As part of the development process for the Louth County Outdoor Recreation Plan, I understand that Louth County Council undertook a consultation process from August to November 2025. This consultation process included one-to-one semi-structured interviews, focus group meetings with key stakeholder groups, and an online survey. Open-door consultations ran in Drogheda on the 4th September 2025.
I am also informed that over 1,000 participants contributed across Louth and that the plan was approved by the elected members at the April Council Meeting held on the 20th of April 2026. The plan will be an important guidance for future development in Louth.
I should also note that the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) is an important contributor to “Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors”. The scheme provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, blue ways, mountain access routes and open water facilities at rivers, lakes and beaches.
Since 2020, some €110 million has been allocated by my department to support over 1,350 projects through the ORIS. This includes 17 projects in Co Louth with associated funding of over €1.2 million. A new round of ORIS funding will open shortly.
