merrion street

Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, accompanied by his counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive, Mr. Alex Attwood, MLA Minister for the Environment, will jointly officially open Mountaineering Ireland's 'Helping the Hills' conference in the Glendalough Hotel, County Wicklow today (Thursday 13th September, 2012)

The conference will take place over 2 days and is the first such conference on the island of Ireland dedicated to the management of erosion on upland paths. This event is focussed on developing an understanding of how best to protect the upland environment from the impact of erosion, in a way that facilitates continued and sustainable recreational enjoyment.

Guest speakers in attendance will include Dawson Stelfox who, in 1993, became the first person from Ireland to climb Mount Everest. Others speakers will include Northern Ireland Outdoor Recreation's director and Heritage Council member Dr Carolynne Ferris and Coillte recreation manager Bill Murphy.

Speaking in advance of the conference, Minister Deenihan said "We are lucky enough in Ireland to have many varied landscapes across the island which offer and support a huge diversity of recreational activities. With its natural beauty and biodiversity, our uplands of hills and mountains make ideal locations for tourism and are a natural asset for us all to enjoy. More than 40% of the land area designated by Ireland as Special Areas of Conservation is located at over 150 metres in altitude making the uplands are our largest expanse of semi-natural habitats.

"Historically we have always had a strong connection with the uplands. Thousands of years of low-intensity agriculture have created our distinctive landscapes. Ireland has tremendous potential for walking and other outdoor recreation activities, but it is imperative that the lands involved are managed appropriately in order to deliver quality recreation experiences and to protect and conserve the integrity of our upland environment and the sensitive habitats contained therein.

"Our six National Parks are actively engaged in balancing conservation objectives with growing recreation demands. The Heritage Council also supports work in this area. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has provided, upgraded and way marked approximately 38km of walking trails in Wicklow Mountains National Park alone. There has also been an additional provision, upgrading and way marking of circa 30km in other NPWS sites in Wicklow.

"As a keen walker, I am personally - as well as professionally - very supportive of this work."