‘The Slieve Blooms are not going to become the wild west for reckless quad and scrambler users,’ TD says

“Quads and scramblers laying waste to Slieve Bloom bike and walking trails” according to a TD.

Independent TD for Offaly, Carol Nolan, formerly a TD in the Laois/Offaly constituency, said there has been “a dramatic increase in the number of concerns being raised” regarding the issue.

The concerns pertain to damage  being caused to the trails themselves as well as the threat posed to walkers and wildlife.

Coillte and the Department of Rural and Community Development are being urged to take immediate action and to “address the illegitimate use” of quads and scramblers on the trails.

Deputy Nolan has called on all parties to “devise a way forward and severely limit the use of quads and scramblers on trails that simply were not designed for such use.”

The bicycle and walking trails were developed by Coillte in partnership with both Laois and Offaly County Councils and play a major role in the tourism of the two counties.

Over €10 million was spent on the trails, with the main location in Laois being the mountain hiking trailhead in Baunreagh, an area near The Cut, while the Offaly base is in Kinnity.

The project, officially launched in 2022, consists of 80km of trails, with plans put in place to extend to 100km.

“The vast majority of people who use quads and scramblers do so responsibly, but unfortunately there is a growing and very serious problem here that demands urgent action,” Deputy Nolan said.

“We must ensure that that these trails are protected if we want to grow the kind of tourism we are trying to draw.

“The Slieve Blooms are not going to become the wild west for reckless quad and scrambler users who seem to believe that they can just do what they like regardless of the dangers posed to themselves or the many people who are drawn to the Blooms for their outstanding natural beauty.”

There is precedence for Government intervention to tackle illegal scramblers and quad bikes when €200,000 in funding was awarded in 2021 as part of an initiative in communities in Dublin and Limerick.

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