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Outdoor Recreation Roles and Responsibilities of Government Departments


Outdoor Recreation Roles and Responsibilities of Government Departments

The number of outdoor recreation stakeholders and the stakeholder landscape have changed significantly in recent years in response to the increased investment and rapid growth of the sector.

Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors reflects a whole of-government approach to supporting outdoor recreation in Ireland and to the protection of its environment. Each action will be led by a nominated government department, state agency or other body. The delivery of the actions will require a partnership approach, working collaboratively with stakeholders across the sector at both national and county level. An Interdepartmental Group was also established to discuss the crosscutting opportunities and synergies.

Action 1.4 of Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors commits to creating and publishing a reporting and responsibility structure to clarify national stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities.

The details below reflect the position as at December 2024. As many funding programmes are time bound or change in focus over time please refer to each Departments website for up to date information.

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Affairs

The Item was unpublished or removed mission is to enhance the lives of children, young people, adults, families and communities, recognising diversity and promoting equality of opportunity.

Department Policies and Strategies (which may relate to outdoor recreation)

  • Young Ireland: the National Policy Framework for Children and Education
  • National Youth Strategy
  • First Five
  • Teenspace - National Recreation Policy for Young People
  • Participation of children and young people in in Decision-Making: Action Plan 2024-2028 (forthcoming, April 2024)
  • National Disability Inclusion Strategy (2017-2021)
  • National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021
  • National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020

Funding Schemes relating to outdoor recreation

  • National Play Day and National Play Day and Recreation Week: €100k is provided each year to support local initiatives that promote and facilitate play and recreation activities during a designated day/week each year. The funding is provided to Local Authorities through an application process facilitated by the Local Authority Play and Recreation Network.

Agencies under the aegis of the Department (which could relate to outdoor recreation)

Department of Environment, Climate and Communication

The Item was unpublished or removed is responsible for the delivery of policies and programmes in a number of areas including Environment and Climate Action, Natural Resources and Waste Policy, Marina Planning Policy, Energy and Communications.

Marine Planning Policy Division

The Marine Planning Policy Division is responsible for marine planning policy regarding sport and recreation planning proposals in the State’s maritime area. These policies are set out in Chapter 21 of the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) 2021 which promotes sustainable development of inclusive water-based sports and marine recreation and improve access to marine and coastal resources for tourism activities and enhance water safety through provision of appropriate International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and European Committee for Standardization (CEN) compliant safety signage.

Department Policies and Strategies (which relate to outdoor recreation)

Funding Responsibility

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications is responsible for the management of the Climate Action Fund (CAF) which was established to provide assistance and financial support to projects which will help Ireland achieve its climate and energy targets. The CAF will provide at least €500 million in government funding up to 2027 towards this aim. The Fund will provide support for innovative initiatives which may not otherwise be possible to accomplish.

Agencies under the aegis of the Department (which relate to outdoor recreation)

Department of Health

Item was unpublished or removed

To improve the health and wellbeing of people in Ireland by keeping people healthy, providing the healthcare people need, delivering high quality services and getting best value from health system resources.

Roles & Responsibilities

  • To provide leadership and policy direction for the health sector to improve health outcomes
  • To undertake effective governance and performance oversight to ensure accountable and high-quality services and systems
  • To collaborate to achieve health priorities and contribute to wider social and economic goals
  • To create an organisational environment where high performance is achieved, collaborative working is valued, and the knowledge and skills of staff are developed and deployed.

Department Policies and Strategies (which relate to outdoor recreation)

  • National Physical Activity Plan
  • The Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025

Funding Responsibility

The Department of Health provides funding to a number of organisations to promote physical activity, including but not limited to, walking, cycling, running and swimming under the Healthy Ireland initiative. While these activities are not exclusive to outdoor settings, it can be assumed that most people engaging in same would do so outdoors.

  • Sport Ireland Healthy Ireland funding - grant provided directly by DOH which is then used by Sport Ireland to support a wide range of physical activity initiatives, many of which would be outdoors.
  • Parkrun - grant provided directly by Department of Health which is used to mpromote running for adults and children in local parks nationwide.
  • Active School Flag - grant provided directly by Department of Health (matched by Department of Education) to support physical activity in schools, some of which may be outdoors.

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Item was unpublished or removed role is to support the sustainable and efficient delivery of well-planned homes, effective local government and vibrant inclusive communities. Since 9 September 2020 the department is also responsible for:

  • managing the Irish State’s nature conservation responsibilities under national and European law
  • formulation and implementation of policy relating to Ireland’s architectural heritage
  • responsibility for built heritage including the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage

National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS)

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) section of the department manages the Irish State’s nature conservation responsibilities under national and European law. A particular responsibility of the NPWS is the designation and protection of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs).

National Monuments Service

Formulation and implementation of policy relating to the protection of Ireland’s archaeological heritage is the responsibility of the National Monuments Service (NMS).

Built Heritage, Architectural Policy and Strategic Infrastructure

The Built Heritage and Architectural Policy section is responsible for built heritage – this includes the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH). The section also has responsibility for North/South Co-operation and Waterways Ireland.

Department Policies and Strategies (which relate to outdoor recreation)

Funding Responsibility

Agencies under the aegis of the Department (which relate to outdoor recreation)

Department of Rural and Community Development

The Item was unpublished or removed mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland.

This is achieved through a range of policy initiatives, funding schemes and interventions intended to improve the economic and social development of rural and urban communities, including our off-shore islands.

Department Policies and Strategies (which relate to outdoor recreation)

Funding Responsibility

Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The Item was unpublished or removed mission is to support the tourism industry in increasing revenue and employment through enhancing competitiveness and through marketing and product development; promote, nurture and develop Ireland's culture and arts; support and promote the use of the Irish language and to facilitate the development of the Gaeltacht; and contribute to a healthier and more active society by promoting sports participation, and by supporting high performance and the provision of facilities.

  • Promote greater participation in sport, with particular focus on female participation and diversity, by contributing to the development and implementation of the National Sports Policy
  • Provide leadership for cross-sectoral sports issues and the sport sector, including gender equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Increase the role of women in the management and leadership of Irish sport
  • Embed the highest standards of good corporate governance across sport bodies
  • Oversee the completion of the Sport Ireland Campus at Blanchardstown, including the development of projects set out in the Campus Masterplan
  • Support the provision of sports facilities through the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund
  • Support continued investment in assessing, bidding, delivering and developing major sporting events such as Ryder Cup 2027
  • Support the training and competition programmes of our high performance athletes with multi-annual funding packages through the High Performance Programme
  • Goal A – To support the sustainable growth of a competitive Tourism sector with a particular emphasis on supporting economic development in communities throughout the country, whilst protecting our environment and natural resources.

Department Policies and Strategies (which relate to outdoor recreation)

  • National Sports Policy 2018-2027
  • National Sports Policy 2018-2027
  • People, Place and Policy - Growing Tourism to 2025

Funding Responsibility

The Department provides funding through the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, the Local Authority Swimming Pool Programme, Sport Ireland, Dormant accounts funding for sports measures, Large Scape Sport Infrastructure Fund and Major Sports Events.

Funding Schemes relating to outdoor recreation

Agencies under the aegis of the Department (which could relate to outdoor recreation)

Department of Transport

The Item was unpublished or removed is responsible for overall policy and the exchequer capital funding of National and Regional Greenway schemes i.e., routes that generally exceed 20km. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are responsible for the planning, design and construction of individual National and Regional Greenway projects in conjunction with the relevant local authority/ sponsoring authority.

Department Policies and Strategies (which relate to outdoor recreation)

  • Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways
  • National Sustainable Mobility Policy
  • Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan
  • Code of Practice for National and Regional Greenways
  • Climate Action Plan
  • National and Regional Greenways

Funding Responsibility

As set out in the National Development Plan, there is an allocation of €60m per annum for Greenways for the period 2021 - 2025 (from a larger allocation of €360m per annum to encompass walking and cycling (active travel) infrastructure. A small number of intra-urban Greenway schemes have been completed or are being progressed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) e.g., Passage West Greenway, Dodder Greenway. These urban schemes to have a greater function in enabling greater levels of travel for commuting, school and shopping purposes as well as recreational purposes. These schemes are funded via the Active Travel programme.

The Department of Transport also provides exchequer funding to support the promotion of existing Greenway schemes as well as the Irish section of the EuroVelo 1 and 2 routes. Financial support is also provided to support the development of cross-border Greenway and officials work with their counterparts in the Department of Infrastructure in this regard.

Agencies under the aegis of the Department (which could relate to outdoor recreation)

Other Departments which have a role in implementing Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors but do not provide direct funding for outdoor recreation

Item was unpublished or removed

The Department of Education's mission to facilitate children and young people, through learning, to achieve their full potential and contribute to Ireland’s social, economic and cultural development.

The Department of Education has committed to

  • Supporting outdoor learning/nature based learning
  • Encouraging schools to provide opportunities for students to take part in outdoor recreation activities

Item was unpublished or removed

The Department’s vision is to make Ireland the best place to succeed in business across all regions of our country, with vibrant enterprises, more high quality employment, growing trade, fair workplaces and higher productivity.

Item was unpublished or removed

To lead the sustainable development of the agri-food, forestry and marine sector and to optimise its contribution to national economic development and the natural environment.

Item was unpublished or removed

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is responsible for policy, funding and governance of the Higher and Further Education and research sectors and for the oversight of the work of the State agencies and public institutions operating in those areas.