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[Press Release: January 25th, 2005] Greens welcome Supreme Court decision on Right-of-Way issueGreen Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca has welcomed news of the Supreme Court's recent ruling that the awarding of damages to a woman who injured herself on a Donegal cliff should be set aside."Since the 1995 Occupiers Liability Act was introduced, there has not been one case where a recreational user of land has successfully sued a landowner for damages as far as I am aware" says de Burca. "This recent Supreme Court ruling copperfastens that record". The Green Party councillor claims that the effect of this case which began in 1997 had been to encourage certain landowners to block access to public rights of way across their lands, including certain rights of way in County Wicklow. "Now that the Occupier's Liability Act has been affirmed by the highest court in the land, I hope that these landowners will change their position and that hillwalkers and other leisure users will be able to enjoy the same levels of access to the countryside that appies in other EU Member States" says de Burca. She points out that Bord Failte figures consistently reveal a collapse in the number os walking tourists visiting Ireland and suggests that landowners will only benefit by adopting a more flexible approach in relation to the issue of access. Councillor de Burca has expressed her hope that the new Interim Committee established by Wicklow County Council and chaired by Fianna Fail councillor, Pat Vance, will be part of a process whereby the issue of public rights of way is sorted out in County Wicklow. "I was told at a recent council meeting that the Committee will be meeting for the first time in early February and hopes to be in a position to report back to the full council with its recommendations by June or July" she says. "The Committee has a huge amount of work to do in relation to establishing the bona fides of the 14 rights of way that were taken out of the new County Development Plan by councillors last year". Councillor de Burca is encouraging any interest group or member of the public who has an interest in any of the 14 rights of way to make a written submission to the Planning Director of Wicklow County Council.These rights of way include the Cliff walk from Bray to Greystones; Bray Head;Kilmolin to Raven's Rock;Little Sugarloaf; Lough Dan along Clogha River; Lough Dan along Inchavore River; Military Road South of Laragh to lugduffbrook; Corragh to Roundhill and Black Hill; Lacken to Sorrel Hill and Black Hill; Access to Fraughan Rock; Track to Scarr; Access to Croaghnamoira; Walk above Lough Bray and Kilcoole Mass track.
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