Funding totalling €4 million has been confirmed for construction and maintenance works at Coillte recreational sites in 2025, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary TD, has announced.

Included in the funding, which forms part of the Department's ongoing partnership with state-owned commercial forestry business Coillte, is the €2.6 million allocation for the delivery of new trail infrastructure and the continued maintenance of 169 existing recreational sites. A further €1.4 million will go towards repair works at up to 200 locations affected by storm damage.

Examples of some of the new recreation amenities being funded include:

• Glantenassig, Co Kerry: Final phase of car park and entrance road improvement works – €120,000,

• Courtown, Co Wexford: Repair and renew of Spike bridge – €35,000,

• Belleek, Co Mayo: Belleek Woods Pond improvement works projects – €50,000,

• Ravensdale, Co Louth: Replacement of foot bridge – €70,000,

• Woodstock, Co Kilkenny: Access road repair and redress – €55,000.

Announcing the funding, Minister Calleary said: "It is essential to ensuring that Coillte sites are in a position to facilitate millions of visitors each year with high quality trails and facilities. Through our current partnership with Coillte, we are providing up to €15 million over 5 years to maintain and develop Coillte’s trail network and recreation amenities around the country. This funding is also supporting Coillte's engagement with local communities and recreation groups right across the country.

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"Our investment in 2025 includes €2m to support ongoing maintenance of over 160 recreational sites across the country and €600,000 to support the development of new recreation amenities."

The Minister continued: "This year has presented an additional challenge to making these facilities available to the public in the aftermath of storm Eowyn. I know Coillte staff have been working tirelessly over the last few months to repair and reopen their recreational forests and to allow communities back in to enjoy these woods.

"There were over 100 sites closed as a result of storm Eowyn and I'm pleased to note that work has completed to allow 83 of these sites reopen. The remaining sites are expected to reopen before the end of the year. In recognition of the significant level of resources needed to repair the storm damage, I am delighted to be able to provide, on a once off basis, additional funding of €1.4m towards repair works on up to 200 sites that suffered storm damage in 2025."

Imelda Hurley, Coillte CEO, added: "We are delighted to welcome this €4 million investment from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG), which will significantly enhance forest trails and outdoor recreation areas across the country. This support comes at a critical time, following the unprecedented Storm Éowyn, that caused widespread damage across our forest estate. Our teams have been working tirelessly to restore access, often in extremely challenging conditions. Their phenomenal efforts have ensured that the majority of our recreational forests have now reopened, enabling communities and visitors to once again enjoy the natural beauty of our forests."

Full details of the 169 sites that will undergo maintenance works in 2025, together with the 17 new amenities being developed, are available here.

Minister Calleary also launched the report of the 2024 programme of investment which sets out the projects and outcomes from the investment provided to Coillte in 2024. This report can be found here.