Preasráiteas: Infheistiú de bhreis is €3 milliún i suímh áineasa Coillte do 2026 fógartha ag an Aire Calleary
Media Release
Monday, 20th April 2026
Minister Calleary announces over €3 million investment in Coillte recreational sites for 2026
- €3.13m for new trail infrastructure and ongoing maintenance at 224 sites
- Final year of 5 year strategic partnership that has seen over €16 million invested in Coillte recreation sites
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has today (20th April 2026) announced details of €3.13m funding that the department will provide in 2026 as part of its’ strategic partnership with Coillte.
Announcing the funding, Minister Calleary said:
“2026 marks the final year of my department’s current 5-year strategic partnership with Coillte. Over the last 5 years, funding of over €16m has been provided to support and maintain Coillte’s wonderful recreation forests and amenities around the country. This is in addition to investment in these sites through programmes such as the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.
“As well as being used to maintain and develop Coillte’s trail network and recreation amenities, this funding has also supported Coillte’s engagement with local communities and recreation groups right across the country.
“These forests are great assets that visitors and local communities enjoy on a daily basis and they are a hugely important element of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland.
“Our investment in 2026 includes €2m to facilitate ongoing maintenance and associated supports at over 200 recreational sites across the country. In addition, €1.1m is being provided to support the development of new recreation amenities and upgrades of existing facilities at 20 sites nationwide.”
Examples of some of the new recreation amenities being funded today include:
- Woodpark, Co Clare: Car park improvement works and the upgrade of 1.4 km of trail. €90,000.
- Curragh Chase Forest Park, Co Limerick: Renewal of Forest Park entrance road. €280,000.
- Belleek Woods, Co Mayo: First installation of play features as part of a new woodland play trail. €105,000.
- Sopwell, Co Tipperary: Renewal of bog bridge. €60,000.
- Monivea Forest, Co Galway: Car park improvement works and trail upgrade. €76,000.
- Dún an Rí Forest Park, Co Cavan: Modernisation of toilet facilities. €82,000.
The full list of sites being maintained and the locations of new works is available here
The Minister continued:
“We cannot overstate the positive impact recreation in the outdoors has on our physical and mental wellbeing. Our partnership with Coillte is one of the most important and I look forward to working with the organisation in the coming months to develop a new strategic partnership from 2027.
“Alongside strategic partnerships such as this, my Department is also providing direct investment through the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS).”
Imelda Hurley, Coillte CEO said:
“We continue to see strong growth in visitor numbers year-on-year across our most popular recreation forests, demonstrating just how valued these amenity forests are by communities throughout Ireland. This €3.13 million investment from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG), is critical to ensuring we can continue to develop and enhance these important recreation sites nationwide, and in doing so support rural economic development, and provide high-quality, accessible spaces for people to enjoy.
“The DRCDG is a key, long-term strategic partner of Coillte and I’d like to thank Minister Dara Calleary and his officials at the Department for their ongoing support. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the DRCDG to develop the next strategic programme from 2027 onwards and to supporting even more people in enjoying the many benefits of our forests nationwide.”
Preasráiteas
Dé Luain, 20 Aibreán 2026
Infheistiú de bhreis is €3 milliún i suímh áineasa Coillte do 2026 fógartha ag an Aire Calleary
- €3.13m i gcomhair infreastruchtúr conairí nua agus cothabháil leanúnach ag 224 suíomh
- Bliain dheireanach de chomhpháirtíocht straitéiseach 5 bliana faoinar bronnadh €16 milliún ar shuímh áineasa Coillte
Inniu (Dé Luain, 20 Aibreán 2026) d’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, sonraí faoin mhaoiniú €3.13m atá an Roinn le cur ar fáil in 2026 mar pháirt dá comhpháirtíocht straitéiseach le Coillte.
Agus an maoiniú á fhógairt aige, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Is í 2026 an bhliain dheireanach den chomhpháirtíocht reatha 5 bliana idir mo Roinn agus Coillte. Le 5 bliana anuas, cuireadh maoiniú de bhreis is €16m ar fáil chun tacaíocht a thabhairt agus cothabháil a dhéanamh ar choillte agus áiseanna áineasa iontacha de chuid Coillte ar fud na tíre. Tá sé seo sa bhreis ar an infheistíocht a rinneadh sna suímh seo trí chláir cosúil leis an Scéim Bonneagair Áineasa Lasmuigh.
“In éineacht lena úsáid chun líonra conairí agus áiseanna áineasa Coillte a chothabháil agus a fhorbairt, tá an maoiniú seo ina thacaíocht do rannpháirtíocht Coillte le pobail áitiúla agus grúpaí áineasa fud fad na tíre.
“Is acmhainní iontacha iad na coillte seo a mbaineann cuairteoirí agus pobail áitiúla tairbhe astu ar bhonn laethúil agus is gnéithe fíorthábhachtacha iad den earnáil áineasa lasmuigh in Éirinn.
“Tá €2m mar chuid dár n-infheistíocht in 2026 chun tacú le cothabháil leanúnach agus tacaithe gaolmhara i níos mó ná 200 suíomh áineasa ar fud na tíre. Ina theannta sin, tá €1.1m á chur ar fáil chun tacú le forbairt áiseanna fóillíochta nua agus uasghráduithe ar áiseanna atá ann cheana ag 20 suíomh ar fud Éireann.”
Seo roinnt samplaí de na háiseanna nua áineasa atá á maoiniú inniu:
- Páirc na Coille, Co. an Chláir: Oibreacha feabhsúcháin ar charrchlós agus uasghrádú ar 1.4km den chonair. €90,000.
- Páirc Foraoise na Cora, Co. Luimnigh: Athnuachan an bhóthair isteach sa Pháirc Foraoise. €280,000.
- Coill Bhéal Leice, Co. Mhaigh Eo: Na chéad ghnéithe súgartha a shuiteáil mar chuid de chonair shúgartha coille nua. €105,000.
- Coill na Lathach, Co. Thiobraid Árann: Athnuachan droichid portaigh. €60,000.
- Coill Mhuine Mheá, Co. na Gaillimhe: Oibreacha feabhsúcháin ar charrchlós agus uasghrádú ar chonair. €76,000.
- Páirc Foraoise Dhún an Rí, Co. an Chabháin: Áiseanna leithris a nuachóiriú. €82,000.
Is féidir teacht ar liosta iomlán na n-áiseanna atá á gcothabháil agus ar shuímh na n-oibreacha nua anseo.
Lean an tAire ar aghaidh:
“Ní féidir linn róbhéim a leagan ar thionchar dearfach an áineasa lasmuigh ar ár sláinte fhisiciúil agus mheabhrach. Tá ár gcomhpháirtíocht le Coillte ar cheann de na cinn is tábhachtaí agus táim ag súil go mór lena bheith ag oibriú leis an eagraíocht sna míonna amach romhainn chun comhpháirtíocht straitéiseach nua a fhorbairt ó 2027 i leith.“In éineacht le comhpháirtíochtaí straitéiseacha cosúil leis an gceann seo, tá infheistíocht dhíreach á cur ar fáil ag mo Roinn tríd an Scéim Bonneagair Áineasa Lasmuigh (ORIS).”
Dúirt Imelda Hurley, Príomhfheidhmeannach Coillte:
“Tá fás láidir le feiceáil againn go leanúnach i líon na gcuairteoirí bliain i ndiaidh bliana ar fud ár bhforaoisí áineasa is mó tóir, rud a léiríonn cé chomh luachmhar is atá na foraoisí taitneamhachta seo ag pobail ar fud na hÉireann. Tá an infheistíocht €3.13 milliún seo ón Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta (DRCDG) ríthábhachtach chun a chinntiú gur féidir linn leanúint ar aghaidh ag forbairt agus ag feabhsú na suíomhanna áineasa tábhachtacha seo ar fud na tíre, agus ar an gcaoi sin tacú le forbairt eacnamaíochta tuaithe, agus spásanna inrochtana ar ardchaighdeán a sholáthar do dhaoine chun taitneamh a bhaint astu.
“Is comhpháirtí straitéiseach, fadtéarmach, barrthábhachtach de chuid Coillte é an DRCDG agus ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire Dara Calleary agus lena oifigigh sa Roinn as a dtacaíocht leanúnach. Táimid ag tnúth le leanúint ar aghaidh ag obair i gcomhpháirtíocht leis an DRCDG chun an chéad chlár straitéiseach eile a fhorbairt ó 2027 ar aghaidh agus le tacú le níos mó daoine fós taitneamh a bhaint as na buntáistí iomadúla a bhaineann lenár bhforaoisí ar fud na tíre.”