Farmers should open up land, says city TD

Farmers should open up their land for recreational use to compensate for the “transfer of wealth from urban to rural areas”, a Dublin TD has claimed.

Kevin Humphreys of Labour made the comments in a Dáil debate over legislation proposed by Labour backbencher Robert Dowds which would empower local authorities to designate private land as being open for public access.

However, many Fine Gael TDs strongly oppose it. Kildare North TD, Anthony Lawlor (FG) asked Mr Dowds if he would create “a walkway through his own house which allowed people to walk from the front door to the back door”.