Media Release – Minister Calleary announces €4 million investment at Coillte recreational sites in 2025
Eisiúint Meáin
Dé hAoine, 1ú Lúnasa 2025
Infheistiú €4 milliún i suímh áineasa Coillte in 2025 fógartha ag an Aire Calleary
- €2.6m i gcomhair infreastruchtúr conairí agus cothabháil leanúnach ag 169 suíomh
- €1.4m i gcomhair obair dheisiúcháin ar bheagnach 200 suíomh áineasa dá ndearnadh damáiste i stoirmeacha le déanaí
Inniu (Dé hAoine, an 1 Lúnasa 2025) d’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, sonraí faoin mhaoiniú €4m atá an Roinn le cur ar fáil in 2025 mar pháirt dá comhpháirtíocht straitéiseach le Coillte. In éineacht le tacaíocht a thabhairt chun tionscadail nua infreastruchtúir a fhorbairt agus chun cothabháil a dhéanamh ar chonairí ar thailte Coillte, i mbliana tá €1.4m eile á chur ar fáil i gcomhair na costais leanúnacha a bhaineann le hobair dheisiúcháin ar chonairí a damáistíodh i stoirmeacha.
Agus an maoiniú á fhógairt aige, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Is rud fíorthábhachtach don earnáil fóillíochta faoin aer in Éirinn í an chomhpháirtíocht straitéiseach idir mo roinn agus Coillte. Tá sé bunriachtanach chun a chinntiú gur féidir le suímh Coillte na milliúin cuairteoirí a láimhseáil gach bliain le conairí agus áiseanna d’ardchaighdeán. Tríd an gcomhpháirtíocht atá againn le Coillte faoi láthair, tá suas le €15 milliún á chur ar fáil againn i dtréimhse 5 bliana chun líonra conairí agus áiseanna áineasa Coillte ar fud na tíre a chothabháil agus a fhorbairt. Chomh maith leis sin, tá an maoiniú seo ag tacú le rannpháirtíocht Coillte le pobail agus grúpaí áineasa áitiúla mórthimpeall na tíre.
“Mar chuid dár n-infheistiú in 2025 tá €2m chun tacú le cothabháil leanúnach ar bhreis agus 160 suíomh áineasa timpeall na tíre agus €600,000 chun tacú le háiseanna nua áineasa a fhorbairt.”
Seo roinnt samplaí de na háiseanna nua áineasa atá á maoiniú inniu:
- Gleann Tí an Easaigh, Co. Chiarraí: Céim dheireanach d’oibreacha feabhsúcháin ar Charrchlós agus bóthar isteach – €120,000,
- Baile na Cúirte, Co. Loch Garman: Athchóiriú agus athnuachan ar Dhroichead Spike – €35,000,
- Béal Leice, Co. Mhaigh Eo: Tionscadal feabhsúcháin ar Lochán Choill Bhéal Leice – €50,000,
- Gleann na bhFiach, Co. Lú: Droichead nua do choisithe in ionad an tseandroichid – €70,000,
- Cluain Dúin, Co. Chill Chainnigh: Deisiúchán agus athchóiriú ar Bhóthar Rochtana – €55,000.
Lean an tAire ar aghaidh:
“Bhí breis dúshláin i gceist leis na háiseanna seo a oscailt go poiblí i mbliana i ndiaidh stoirm Éowyn. Tá a’ fhios agam go bhfuil foireann Coillte ag obair gan stad le roinnt míonna anuas chun a bhforaoisí áineasa a dheisiú agus a athoscailt chun gur féidir leis an bpobal teacht ar ais agus sult a bhaint as na coillte seo.
“Dúnadh breis is 100 suíomh mar gheall ar stoirm Éowyn agus is cúis áthais dom go bhfuil críoch leis an obair chun 83 dóibh seo a athoscailt. Tá súil go n-athosclófar na suímh eile roimh dheireadh na bliana. Mar aitheantas ar an méid suntasach acmhainní a theastaíonn chun damáiste na stoirme a dheisiú, is mór an lúcháir atá orm a bheith in ann maoiniú breise de €1.4m a chur ar fáil, ar bhonn aonuaire, i leith oibreacha deisiúcháin ar suas le 200 suíomh dá ndearnadh damáiste stoirme in 2025.”
Dúirt Imelda Hurley, Príomhfheidhmeannach Coillte:
“Is cúis áthais dúinn fáilte a chur roimh an infheistiú €4 milliún seo ón Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta (DRCDG), lena gcuirfear feabhas suntasach ar chonairí foraoise agus láithreacha áineasa faoin aer ar fud na tíre. Tá an tacaíocht seo ag teacht ag am ríthábhachtach, i ndiaidh Stoirm Éowyn nach bhfaca muid a leithéid riamh agus a rinne damáiste forleathan dár n-eastát foraoise. Tá ár bhfoirne ag obair gan stad chun rochtain orthu seo a thabhairt ar ais, i gcúinsí fíordhúshlánacha go minic. De bharr a n-iarrachtaí éachtacha tá mórchuid ár bhforaoisí áineasa ar oscailt arís, rud a ligeann don phobal agus do chuairteoirí sult a bhaint as áilleacht nádúrtha ár bhforaoisí arís.
“Ba mhaith liom an deis seo a thapú chun mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire Calleary agus a fhoireann as a dtacaíocht leanúnach. Tá DRCDG ina comhpháirtí straitéiseach fadtéarmach tábhachtach do Coillte agus leis an maoiniú seo, ní amháin gur féidir borradh a chur faoi théarnamh an áineasa faoin aer ach tá muid in ann a chinntiú go seasfaidh na háiseanna bunriachtanacha seo an aimsir do na glúnta atá le teacht. Tá muid ag súil le leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair i gcomhar le DRCDG chun ár láithreacha áineasa faoin aer a fheabhsú agus le fáilte a chur roimh thuilleadh cuairteoirí chun ár n-eastát ar fud na tíre.”
Is féidir teacht ar na sonraí go léir faoi na 169 suíomh ar a ndéanfar oibreacha cothabhála in 2025, in éineacht leis na 17 áis nua atá le forbairt anseo
Chomh maith leis sin, inniu d’fhógair an tAire Calleary an tuarascáil faoi chlár infheistíochta 2024 ina leagtar amach na tionscadail agus torthaí ón infheistíocht a tugadh do Coillte in 2024. Is féidir teacht ar an tuarascáil sin anseo .
Media Release
Friday, 1st August 2025
Minister Calleary announces €4 million investment at Coillte recreational sites in 2025
- €2.6m for new trail infrastructure and ongoing maintenance at 169 sites
- €1.4m to repair damage caused to up to 200 recreational sites following recent storms
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has today (Friday, 1st August 2025) announced details of €4m funding the department will provide in 2025 as part of its’ strategic partnership with Coillte. In addition to supporting the development of new infrastructure projects and the maintenance of existing trails on Coillte lands, this year an additional €1.4m is being provided towards the ongoing cost of repairing storm damaged trails.
Announcing the funding, Minister Calleary said:
“My department’s strategic partnership with Coillte is a hugely important one for the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland. It is essential to ensuring that Coillte sites are in a position to facilitate millions of visitors each year with high quality trails and facilities. Through our current partnership with Coillte, we are providing up to €15 million over 5 years to maintain and develop Coillte’s trail network and recreation amenities around the country. This funding is also supporting Coillte’s engagement with local communities and recreation groups right across the country.
“Our investment in 2025 includes €2m to support ongoing maintenance of over 160 recreational sites across the country and €600,000 to support the development of new recreation amenities.”
Examples of some of the new recreation amenities being funded today include:
- Glantenassig, Co Kerry: Final Phase of Car Park and entrance road Improvement Works – €120,000,
- Courtown, Co Wexford: Repair and Renew of Spike bridge – €35,000,
- Belleek, Co Mayo: Belleek Woods Pond improvement works projects – €50,000,
- Ravensdale, Co Louth: Replacement of foot bridge – €70,000,
- Woodstock, Co Kilkenny: Access Road Repair and redress – €55,000.
The Minister continued:
“This year has presented an additional challenge to making these facilities available to the public in the aftermath of storm Eowyn. I know Coillte staff have been working tirelessly over the last few months to repair and reopen their recreational forests and to allow communities back in to enjoy these woods.
“There were over 100 sites closed as a result of storm Eowyn and I’m pleased to note that work has completed to allow 83 of these sites reopen. The remaining sites are expected to reopen before the end of the year. In recognition of the significant level of resources needed to repair the storm damage, I am delighted to be able to provide, on a once off basis, additional funding of €1.4m towards repair works on up to 200 sites that suffered storm damage in 2025.”
Imelda Hurley, Coillte CEO said:
“We are delighted to welcome this €4 million investment from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG), which will significantly enhance forest trails and outdoor recreation areas across the country. This support comes at a critical time, following the unprecedented Storm Éowyn, that caused widespread damage across our forest estate. Our teams have been working tirelessly to restore access, often in extremely challenging conditions. Their phenomenal efforts have ensured that the majority of our recreational forests have now reopened, enabling communities and visitors to once again enjoy the natural beauty of our forests.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Dara Calleary and his team for their ongoing support. The DRCDG is a key, long-term strategic partner of Coillte and this funding will not only accelerate outdoor recreational recovery but also help to future-proof these vital amenities for generations to come. We look forward to continuing work in partnership with the DRCDG to enhance our outdoor recreation areas and to welcoming even more visitors to our estate across the country.”
Full details of the 169 sites that will undergo maintenance works in 2025, together with the 17 new amenities being developed, are available here
Minister Calleary also today launched the report of the 2024 programme of investment which sets out the projects and outcomes from the investment provided to Coillte in 2024. This report can be found here .