Sir, - As a writer of guidebooks to walking in the Wicklow Mountains (and other areas of Ireland) I was most disturbed by the letter of Richard Logue (August 13th). He complains of notices warning walkers off what were always assumed to be permissive rights of way.
The notices to which Mr Logue refers appear to be those (apparently approved by the ICMSA), which refer to the Occupiers' Liability Act (1995). These seem to offer grudging acceptance to walkers, but then take it all back in the last devastating sentence which reads: "Unauthorised, Entry is Prohibited".
The ironic part of all this is that the purpose of the Act was to take the onus of responsibility from occupiers for accidents to trespassers on their land. Rather than facilitating access to walkers these notices make it far more difficult.
The ICSMA should think again about the intention and spirit of the Act and the effects these notices are likely to have on agritourism especially given the increasing numbers of hill walking tourists. Failing that - and there is a good case for this, especially in Wicklow - statutory rights of way should be established to allow walkers access from roads, through the intervening farmland to open mountainside. - Yours, etc.,
Meadow Grove,
Dublin 16.