An economic value on access to farmland has been assembled for the first time by a research team working in Teagasc's rural economy research centre in Athenry.
The environmental modelling unit of the centre looked at whitewater kayakers, walkers who use marked ways, upland area walkers and birdwatchers.
It used a system of "consumer surplus" and "stated and revealed preference" to see how much those who use the country benefit from not having to pay for access and the willingness to pay in the context of hypothetical changes in the supply and quantity of opportunities.
The researchers found that increasing by one unit the perception of water quality on the river Liffey would increase the welfare of kayakers by €1.89 a site visit.
On the other hand, it found that by piping water for irrigation or putting a hydro-electric dam on the most popular whitewater kayaking rivers in the country, the Roughty in Kerry, the welfare of kayakers would be reduced by an average of €9.61 for each kayaking trip.
The study, compiled by Dr Stephen Hynes and Cathal Buckley, said that for the equivalent walk in upland areas, walkers were willing to pay on average €5.69 per annum.
Looking at the recreational use of forestry, it found that investment in a wildlife viewing hide at a small-scale forest site in Co Galway would increase average walker visits from 4.5 to 9.18 visits a year.
"These resources cannot be efficiently allocated through markets due to their public good characteristics, such as being non-rival and non-excludable," the report said, "yet walking in a farm forest or on upland commonage, or kayaking on a river, can provided an economic benefit to the individual even if a formal market does not exist to recognise this.
"It is a benefit for which the consumer would, if he/she had to, pay some monetary amount, perhaps a parking or access fee. The fact that they do not have to pay anything in most cases results in the recreationalist retaining a 'consumer surplus' as an extra income.
The results, published in the Teagasc's TT Economics magazine, indicated that recreational demand and the economic values associated with the recreational use of the Irish countryside "are significant".