Should farmers be paid to allow walkers access to their land? Step 4

1. [Multiple choice]

Farmers in western Europe usually have to pay for footpaths, stiles and signposts on the land walkers walk over.

(The state usually pays for this.)

Answers for Quiz [1].

• 1. True
• 2. False (correct)
• 3. Doesn’t say

2. [Multiple choice]

The IFA has agreed to consider the idea of ‘permissive paths’ rather than ‘rights of way’.

(Presumably farmers can refuse permission for people to walk on these paths because permissive paths are legally inferior to ‘rights of way’.)

Answers for Quiz [2].

• 1. True (correct)
• 2. False
• 3. Doesn’t say

3. [Multiple choice]

To create a network of 80,000 kms of rights of way in Ireland would bring Ireland’s access to the countryside into line with that in England and Wales.

(Even the 80,000 kms being asked for is less than that available in England and Wales by almost two thirds. 80,000 kms would be just over a third of the area of access in England in Wales – which is 225,000 kms.)

Answers for Quiz [3].

• 1. True
• 2. False (correct)
• 3. Doesn’t say

4. [Multiple choice]

The IFA is asking for a one-off payment from the Irish government in exchange for access over farmland to be granted.

(They are asking for a yearly payment of 5,000 euros per kilometre, and 1,000 euros per farm.)

Answers for Quiz [4].

• 1. True
• 2. False (correct)
• 3. Doesn’t say

5. [Multiple choice]

Some of Ireland’s network of waymarked paths is over private land. This amount is close to:

Answers for Quiz [5].

• 1. 15% (correct)
• 2. 20%
• 3. 25%
• 4. 30%
• 5. 35%

6. [Multiple choice]

Scotland and Ireland have similar surface areas of land.

Answers for Quiz [6].

• 1. True (correct)
• 2. False
• 3. Doesn’t say

7. [Multiple choice]

Scotland and England have similar surface areas of land.

Answers for Quiz [7].

• 1. True
• 2. False
• 3. Doesn’t say (correct)

8. [Multiple choice]

The obstacle to Ireland earning more money from walking tourism is access and a lack of general provision.

(Walkers are ‘uncertain’ whether they will be welcome or not; informal rights can be withdrawn at any time, and there are few signposts, guidebooks etc that walkers need.)

Answers for Quiz [8].

• 1. True (correct)
• 2. False
• 3. Doesn’t say

9. [Multiple choice]

Keep Ireland Open wants the availability of paths in Ireland to match that in Scotland.

(They only want to be allowed to walk over 7% of marginal land and a modest network of rights of way in lowland areas. ‘We do not aspire to the idyllic situation in Scotland’ shows the writer sees no reason why walkers should not have exactly the same freedom to roam in Ireland as they have in Scotland – and the Scottish farmer he quotes in the opening paragraph has no problem with that idea either.)

Answers for Quiz [9].

• 1. True
• 2. False (correct)
• 3. Doesn’t say

10. [Multiple choice]

If areas are vandalised the solution is to have more people visiting those areas as their presence would discourage anti-social activity.

(Areas with persistent problems of vandalism should not be opened to the public.)

Answers for Quiz [10].

• 1. True
• 2. False (correct)
• 3. Doesn’t say

11. [Multiple choice]

Walkers all over Europe have never in the past been expected to pay to walk in the countryside.

(If walkers or the Irish government were to pay for such access it would be the first time this had ever happened, because it is ‘without European precedent’.)

Answers for Quiz [11].

• 1. True (correct)
• 2. False
• 3. Doesn’t say

12. [Multiple choice]

Farmers receive some subsidies through domestic and European taxes. Which amount is closest to the total received?

(Over 70% of their income is the figure given. David Herman writes ‘It is time we got something back.’)

Answers for Quiz [12].

• 1. 20% of their income
• 2. 45% of their income
• 3. 60% of their income
• 4. 75% of their income (correct)
• 5. 80% of their income

13. [Multiple choice]

In general people have sympathised with farmers and their problems.

Answers for Quiz [13].

• 1. True (correct)
• 2. False
• 3. Doesn’t say

14. [Multiple choice]

The EU will soon bring in legislation which will make farmers’ subsidies dependent on their ‘giving something back’.

(The last few lines describe this as ‘a powerful weapon’ – that farmers will shortly be obliged by European law to provide access to their land.

)

Answers for Quiz [14].

• 1. True (correct)
• 2. False
• 3. Doesn’t say