The state’s forestry agency, Coillte, has confirmed that it has been in contact with An Garda Síochana as part of enforcement efforts aimed at protecting the Slieve Bloom mountain bike trails.
Coillte was responding to recent representations on the matter from the former Laois/Offaly Independent TD Carol Nolan.
Now elected as an Independent TD in the Offaly constituency, Deputy Nolan had highlighted the damage that is being caused to the trails from the illegal use of off-road scrambler motorcycles, quad bikes and other all-terrain vehicles.
Deputy Nolan said she is “delighted to see that Coillte is committed to adopting a very firm policy on this matter.”
Deputy Nolan added that Coillte is “continuing to liaise with the Gardai to deter the use of unauthorised vehicles on the Slieve Bloom mountain bike trail network.”
It was in late January when the Independent TD said he Slieve Blooms are not going to become “the wild west” for what she called “reckless” quad and scrambler users.
Deputy Nolan challenged Coillte and the Department of Rural and Community Development to come together to find a way of limiting the use of all-terrain vehicles on the trails.
Over €10 million was spent on the more than 80km of mountain biking trails, which have become an important part of Laois Tourism, particularly at the Baunreagh Trailhead near The Cut.
Coillte has developed a series of bye-laws which outline and specify activities which are not permitted on their lands unless specifically authorised under licence.
These bye-laws, however, do not apply to the kind of scramblers, quad bikes and the other all-terrain vehicles in question.
“I appreciate that the agency does rely on An Garda Síochana for enforcement of these bye-laws,” Deputy Nolan said.
“That is why I will be working to ensure that our Gardaí have sufficient resources available to them to enable the kind of routine enforcement that we need to see happen to protect this valuable local resource from further levels of deterioration.”
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