Topic: Access to the countryside - ROI (Read 3420 times)

whoRya · « **on:** June 07, 2013 »

I thought this deserved its own topic and is something of interest to those of us who enjoy travelling that wee bit further to enjoy the great outdoors. A new bill was laid down (?) by a Labour TD on 30/05/13 entitled the Access to the Countryside Bill 2013, it refers of course to our near-neighbours in ROI.

I think this is the link to the full bill - well in its original form anyway.

Access to the Countryside Bill 2013

The purpose of the bill is:

Quote

Bill entitled an Act to confer functions on County Councils in relation to the identification of lands to which the public ought to have a right of access for amenity and recreational purposes and to make provision for securing that right of access; for that purpose to amend the law in relation to occupiers' liability; to provide for the establishment of an advisory council, representative of affected interest groups, to assist County Councils in the performance of their functions under this act; and to provide for connected matters

I like the use of the word "ought". A bit more information on the land that is being discussed follows. It would also state land that cannot be declared access land e.g. farmed land.

Quote

Subject to paragraph (b), a declaration that land is access
5 land may be made by a county council in respect of land
specified in the resolution, being land that the council is
of opinion is land that is appropriate for public access
rights under this Act, and being land in one or more of
the following categories—
10 (i) any land that is more than 200 metres above sea level,
(ii) any open and uncultivated land, including moors,
heaths and downs,
(iii) any land that is within 5 metres of a bank of a river
or canal (being a river or canal that exceeds 25 kilo15
metres in length),
(iv) any land that is within 5 metres of any permanent lake
(which expression does not include turloughs or any
body of water that is essentially temporary in
nature),
20 (v) any land that is within 10 metres of the coastal high
water mark, or
(vi) any land that is owned by or under the authority of
Córas Iompair Éireann along or adjacent to a disused
railway track

What would access permit you to do?

Quote

4.—(1) Where land is declared by a county council to be access
land then—
(a) subject to compliance by entrants with any conditions provided
for in bye-laws made under section 6, there is a
right of access to the land and members of the public are 35
entitled, without let or hindrance from any person with
an interest in the land, to engage in reasonable exercise
of a right to enter onto and remain on it for amenity and
recreational purposes, not including overnight accommodation
or the erection of any temporary dwelling, and

Oh well, I like the thrill of stealth wildcamping

I suppose having the right to move the blue-beg camping brigade on would be advantageous also.

No doubt there will plenty of discussion on this in the future. I hope it gets enacted. Crucially they are clear that public liability issues are dealt with. That seems to be the biggest area for landowners to object.

I might add more as I read on, I just wanted to get the topic opened.

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Author Topic: Access to the countryside - ROI (Read 3420 times)

whoRya

Access to the countryside - ROI

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